history

A1 Topic:Culture & History

Also spelled istory

US /ˈhɪs.tɹi/ UK /ˈhɪs.tə.ɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #790

Meanings

1

noun
The study of past events, especially in human affairs.

They teach medieval history at the university.
2

noun
All the events that happened in the past.

It was a critical time in the school's history.
3

noun
A written or spoken account of past events.

He wrote a history of France.
4

noun
The set of past events connected with a particular person or thing.

The patient has a long history of heart problems.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · all the events that... past

3 noun · a written or spoken account... account

4 noun · the set of past events... background

Word family

Forms histories

Derived forms allohistoryalthistoryanthrohistoryantihistoricismantihistoricistantihistoryastrohistorybiohistorycounterhistoryecohistoryethnohistorygeohistory

Related forms historiaster

Etymology

From Middle English historie, from Old French estoire, estorie (“chronicle, history, story”) (French histoire), from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορίᾱ (historíā, “learning through research”), from ἱστορέω (historéō, “to research, inquire (and) record”), from ἵστωρ (hístōr, “the knowing, wise one”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”). Doublet of story and storey. Attested in Middle English in 1393 by John Gower, Confessio Amantis, which was aimed at an educated audience familiar with French and Latin.

*weyd- Proto-Indo-European historie Middle English estoire Old French historia Latin ἱστορίᾱ Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

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# history

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈhɪs.tɹi/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhɪs.tə.ɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 790

## Meanings
1. The study of past events, especially in human affairs.
2. All the events that happened in the past.
3. A written or spoken account of past events.
4. The set of past events connected with a particular person or thing.

## Examples
- They teach medieval history at the university.
- It was a critical time in the school's history.
- He wrote a history of France.
- The patient has a long history of heart problems.

## Derived Forms
- allohistory
- althistory
- anthrohistory
- antihistoricism
- antihistoricist
- antihistory
- astrohistory
- biohistory
- counterhistory
- ecohistory
- ethnohistory
- geohistory

## Related Forms
- historiaster

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *weyd-
- Root: historie
- Root: estoire
- Root: historia
- Root: ἱστορίᾱ

## Etymology
From Middle English historie, from Old French estoire, estorie (“chronicle, history, story”) (French histoire), from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορίᾱ (historíā, “learning through research”), from ἱστορέω (historéō, “to research, inquire (and) record”), from ἵστωρ (hístōr, “the knowing, wise one”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”). Doublet of story and storey. Attested in Middle English in 1393 by John Gower, Confessio Amantis, which was aimed at an educated audience familiar with French and Latin.

## AI Etymology
History comes from Middle English historie, from Old French estoire, estorie (“chronicle, history, story”) (French histoire), from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορίᾱ (historíā, “learning through research”), from ἱστορέω (historéō, “to research, inquire (and) record”), from ἵστωρ (hístōr, “the knowing, wise one”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”). Doublet of story and storey. Attested in Middle English in 1393 by John Gower, Confessio Amantis, which was aimed at an educated audience familiar with French and Latin. In current use, the main senses are “The study of past events, especially in human affairs” and “All the events that happened in the past”.

## Topics
- Culture & History

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