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etymology: [noun] the history of a linguistic form (such as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and ...
- I. What Is etymology?
- II. Examples of Etymology
- III. Types of Etymology
- IV. The Importance of Using Etymology
- V. Examples of Etymology in Literature
- VI. Examples of Etymology in Popular Culture
- VII. Related Terms
Etymology is not a rhetorical or literary device. “Etymology is the investigation of word histories.” Every word in every language has a unique origin and history; words can be born in many ways, and often their histories are quite adventurous and informative. Etymology investigates and documents the lives (mainly the origins) of words. The etymolo...
Etymologies can be simple or complex. Much like the lives of people, it depends upon how much a word has traveled and what adventuresit has had. Here are examples of each:
Words are born and develop in many ways. Many words begin with ‘roots’; a root’ is the central piece of most words, the part of the word that carries most of the meaning.
Etymology is important because by knowing it you can become a better wordsmith. If you understand where your words came from, you understand them better and may be able to sue them more effectively, precisely and beautifully. Knowing etymology will also often help you know the meanings of words you have never seen before. If you look at two people ...
This section might be more accurately entitled, “etymologists in literature.” The great literary writers created much of our language.
Example 1
Journalism is a huge part of our popular culture, and the best journalists are excellent etymologists. They must understand both culture and language to do their jobs effectively. They must be able to communicate with people in all areas of society and make themselves understood.
Example 2
The technological field is one of the greatest fields for etymological development. New words are being invented every day to keep up with changing technology and its uses. Simply think of your computer and you will think of many new words and new ways words are being used: microchip, data processor, iPod, metadata, bandwidth, defrag, interface.
Example 3
Acronyms are one way that words are invented, which is incredibly popular in current culture. It seems that just about everything has to be shortened to fit into a text message or a two-second sound-bite: LOL, ROFL, OMG. In addition, every institution has its own acronym: UCLA, DOD, FDA. This trend is important to etymology because things that start out as acronyms often become normal words. The words scuba, laser, radar, awol and zip(zip code) are all acronyms that have been accepted as word...
There are a myriad of terms related to etymology. Go back to section III of this article and you will find an extensive list of them. But, in order to be thorough, here are a few more: 1. Linguistics– “the scientific study of language” 2. Lexicostatistics – “the statistical study of the vocabulary of a language, with special attention to the histor...
Etymology ( / ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi /, ET-im-OL-ə-jee [1]) is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes. [2] [3] It is a subfield of historical linguistics, philology, and semiotics, and draws upon comparative semantics, morphology, pragmatics, and ...
The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone.
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Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms. (1) Etymology refers to the origin or derivation of a word (also known as lexical change ). Adjective: etymological . (2) Etymology is the branch of linguistics concerned with the history of the forms and meanings of words. From the Greek, "true sense of a word".
ETYMOLOGY meaning: 1. the study of the origin and history of words, or a study of this type relating to one particular…. Learn more.
Etymology definition: the derivation of a word.. See examples of ETYMOLOGY used in a sentence.
