etymology

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the study of the origins and historical development of words

   Her interest in etymology began when she traced several legal terms back to Latin.

2. 2
   noun

   the origin and development of a particular word or expression

   The dictionary gives the etymology of candid from a Latin word meaning white.

From Middle English ethymologie, through Old French ethimologie and Latin etymologia, from Ancient Greek etumologia. The Greek formation combines etumon ("a word's true sense") with -logia ("study, account"), giving the literal idea of an account of a word's true origin.

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