etymology

Noun

etymology (countable and uncountable, plural etymologies)

1. (uncountable) The scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.
   • Holonyms: historical linguistics < linguistics
2. (countable) The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history.
   • Although written the same, the words lead (the metal) and lead (the verb) have totally different etymologies.
   • The etymology of the term Japlish is disputed and contentiously so.2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 13
3. (countable) An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.
   • Etymologies appeal to people with a very wide variety of interests and intellectual backgrounds. A very few people, such as myself, spend most of their time researching etymologies. A slightly larger number do so very occasionally. Many, many more people look at etymologies, but have never...2011 [2009], Philip Durkin, “About this book”, in The Oxford Guide to Etymology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page ix
   • I began to study coats of arms, visit the Web sites of portrait galleries and look up the etymology of Gaelic names.2012 August 13, Leslie Larson, “Up a family tree”, in CNN

   Synonyms:

   derivation

4. (countable) The direct origin of a name, as in who someone was named after.
   • I'm sure you know the etymology of your name, Goodspeed.1996, The Rock