Etymology

Quick meaning: Etymology is a noun meaning (countable) The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history.

Meaning

(countable) The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history.

More Meanings

1. (countable) An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.
2. (countable) The direct origin of a name, as in who someone was named after.
3. (uncountable, linguistics) The scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.

Example Sentences

Holonyms: historical linguistics < linguistics

I'm sure you know the etymology of your name, Goodspeed.

The etymology of the term Japlish is disputed and contentiously so.

Although written the same, the words lead (the metal) and lead (the verb) have totally different etymologies.

Word Forms

• etymologies

Synonyms for etymology

Depending on context, synonyms include derivation.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include etimology, etymologist, etymography, semantics, morphology, semantician.

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