etymology

"Etymologies" redirects here. For the literary works by Isidore of Seville and J. R. R. Tolkien, see Etymologiae and The Etymologies (Tolkien) respectively. Etymology is the study of the history of words  - when they entered a language, from what source, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.
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(n.)
That part of grammar which relates to the changes in the form of the words in a language; inflection.
  

(n.)
That branch of philological science which treats of the history of words, tracing out their origin, primitive significance, and changes of form and meaning.
  

Noun
1. a history of a word
(hypernym) history, account, chronicle, story
(hyponym) folk etymology
(derivation) etymologize, etymologise
2. the study of the sources and development of words
(hypernym) linguistics
(hyponym) lexicostatistics
(derivation) etymologize, etymologise