1. the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history: "the decline of etymology as a linguistic discipline"
▪ the origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning:"the etymology of the word “devil”"
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French ethimologie, via Latin from Greek etumologia, from etumologos ‘student of etymology’, from etumon, neuter singular of etumos ‘true’.