Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Etymology"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Etymology \Et`y*mol"o*gy\ (-j[y^]), n.; pl. {Etymologies}
(-j[i^]z). [L. etymologia, Gr. 'etymologi`a; 'e`tymon etymon
+ lo`gos discourse, description: cf. F. ['e]tymologie. See
{Etymon}, and {-logy}.]
1. That branch of philological science which treats of the
history of words, tracing out their origin, primitive
significance, and changes of form and meaning.
2. That part of grammar which relates to the changes in the
form of the words in a language; inflection.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
etymology
n 1: a history of a word
2: the study of the sources and development of words
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