etymology

noun

et·y·mol·o·gy ˌe-tə-ˈmä-lə-jē How to pronounce etymology (audio)

plural etymologies

: 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 its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language

: a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies

etymological

ˌe-tə-mə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce etymology (audio)

adjective

etymologically

ˌe-tə-mə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce etymology (audio)

adverb

Example Sentences

Visible just beneath the entries are tantalizing glimpses of the lexicographer's craft: scouring periodicals for fresh coinages, poring over competing dictionaries in search of elusive etymologies and hounding writers and scholars in the service of … "ear candy" or plain old "duh."

Margalit Fox, New York Times Book Review, 18 June 1995 Professionals have always tried to seal the borders of their trade and to snipe at any outsider with a pretense to amateur enthusiasm (although amateurs who truly love their subject, as the etymology of their status proclaims, often acquire far more expertise than the average time-clock-punching breadwinner).

Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, February 1991 True etymology, if there is such a thing, seeks to displace our attention back in time, to roots, whereas the "popular" variety tries to update words, to familiarize them where the so-called science estranges them.

Walter Redfern, Puns, 1984 Several different etymologies have been proposed.

Recent Examples on the Web When looking to understand a word or concept, its etymology is a great place to start.

Theodore Mcdarrah, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 And thanks to the dozen or so Italians, or Americans of Italian extraction or with Italian links, who educated me on the etymology of the word calcio.

New York Times, 29 July 2022 But the etymology also reflects a suspicion that interest allows the rich to devour the poor.

Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Hopefully these lists and the etymology will clear up the term.

Theodore Mcdarrah, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Folk etymology holds that these two idioms, which in different ways imply inattention to more important tasks, arose from the same situation – someone assigning busywork to others, to prevent them from being idle.

Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2022 Contestants are allotted two minutes to spell their word and may ask for the meaning, the etymology, and alternate pronunciations.

Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 2 June 2022 The etymology of the word dogged, in the positive, literally defines the loyalty and determination, the steadfast companionship, the always-see-the-best-in-you adoration that makes dogs such beloved creatures to many of us mere mortals.

Liza Lentini, SPIN, 16 June 2022 Contestants are allotted two minutes to spell their word and may ask for the meaning, the etymology, and alternative pronunciations.

Tara Bahrampour, Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2022 See More

单词	etymology
释义	etymology noun et·y·mol·o·gy ˌe-tə-ˈmä-lə-jē plural etymologies 1 : 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 its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language 2 : a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies etymological ˌe-tə-mə-ˈlä-ji-kəl adjective etymologically ˌe-tə-mə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē adverb Did you know? Commonly Confused: Etymology and Entomology The etymology of etymology itself is relatively straightforward. Etymon means "origin of a word" in Latin, and comes from the Greek word etymon, meaning "literal meaning of a word according to its origin." Greek etymon in turn comes from etymos, which means "true." Be careful not to confuse etymology with the similar-sounding entomology. Entomon means "insect" in Greek, and entomology is the study of bugs. Example Sentences Visible just beneath the entries are tantalizing glimpses of the lexicographer's craft: scouring periodicals for fresh coinages, poring over competing dictionaries in search of elusive etymologies and hounding writers and scholars in the service of … "ear candy" or plain old "duh." Margalit Fox, New York Times Book Review, 18 June 1995 Professionals have always tried to seal the borders of their trade and to snipe at any outsider with a pretense to amateur enthusiasm (although amateurs who truly love their subject, as the etymology of their status proclaims, often acquire far more expertise than the average time-clock-punching breadwinner). Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, February 1991 True etymology, if there is such a thing, seeks to displace our attention back in time, to roots, whereas the "popular" variety tries to update words, to familiarize them where the so-called science estranges them. Walter Redfern, Puns, 1984 Several different etymologies have been proposed. Recent Examples on the Web When looking to understand a word or concept, its etymology is a great place to start. Theodore Mcdarrah, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 And thanks to the dozen or so Italians, or Americans of Italian extraction or with Italian links, who educated me on the etymology of the word calcio. New York Times, 29 July 2022 But the etymology also reflects a suspicion that interest allows the rich to devour the poor. Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Hopefully these lists and the etymology will clear up the term. Theodore Mcdarrah, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Folk etymology holds that these two idioms, which in different ways imply inattention to more important tasks, arose from the same situation – someone assigning busywork to others, to prevent them from being idle. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2022 Contestants are allotted two minutes to spell their word and may ask for the meaning, the etymology, and alternate pronunciations. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 2 June 2022 The etymology of the word dogged, in the positive, literally defines the loyalty and determination, the steadfast companionship, the always-see-the-best-in-you adoration that makes dogs such beloved creatures to many of us mere mortals. Liza Lentini, SPIN, 16 June 2022 Contestants are allotted two minutes to spell their word and may ask for the meaning, the etymology, and alternative pronunciations. Tara Bahrampour, Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English ethimologie, from Anglo-French, from Latin etymologia, from Greek, from etymon + -logia -logy First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing etymology folk etymology folk etymology Kids Definition etymology noun et·y·mol·o·gy ˌe-tə-ˈmä-lə-jē plural etymologies : the history of a word shown by tracing it or its parts back to the earliest known forms and meanings both in its own language and any other language from which it may have been taken
随便看	recidivous Recife recifes recip recipe recipe book recipe for disaster recipes recipher recipience recipiences recipiencies recipiency recipient recipients reciprocal reciprocal alphabet reciprocal demand reciprocal diagram reciprocal pronoun reciprocal quantities reciprocal ratio reciprocal switching reciprocal wills reciprocalities

etymology

noun

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing etymology

Kids Definition

noun