etymology
Meaning: The study of the origin and historical development of words, tracing how their forms and meanings have changed over time.
Etymology investigates how words entered a language, what their original roots were, and how their meanings have shifted across centuries. It draws on historical records, comparative linguistics, and reconstructed proto-languages. The term can refer both to the academic discipline and to the specific origin story of an individual word.
Examples
- The etymology of the word 'salary' reveals that it derives from the Latin salarium, linked to payments for salt. salary'一词的词源表明它来自拉丁语salarium,与盐的支付有关。La etimología de la palabra 'salary' revela que procede del latín salarium, vinculado a los pagos en sal.「salary」という語の語源は、ラテン語のsalarium(塩に関する支払い)に由来することを明らかにしている。salary'라는 단어의 어원은 소금에 대한 지불과 관련된 라틴어 salarium에서 유래했음을 보여준다.
- She developed a passion for etymology after discovering how many English words have Norse origins. 她在发现许多英语词汇源自古北欧语之后,对词源学产生了热情。Desarrolló una pasión por la etimología al descubrir cuántas palabras inglesas tienen orígenes nórdicos.彼女は多くの英語の単語が古ノルド語に起源を持つことを知り、語源学に情熱を抱くようになった。그녀는 많은 영어 단어가 고대 노르드어에 기원을 두고 있다는 것을 알게 된 후 어원학에 열정을 갖게 되었다.
- A good dictionary will include the etymology of each entry, showing its linguistic roots and earliest known usage. 一本好词典会在每个词条中附上词源说明,展示其语言学根源和最早的已知用法。Un buen diccionario incluye la etimología de cada entrada, mostrando sus raíces lingüísticas y su uso documentado más antiguo.良い辞書には各項目の語源が記載されており、その言語学的ルーツと最も古い使用例が示されている。좋은 사전에는 각 항목의 어원이 수록되어 있어, 그 언어학적 뿌리와 가장 오래된 용례를 보여준다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, professional
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek etymologia (analysis of a word to find its true origin), from etymon (true sense of a word) and -logia (study of). Used in English since the 14th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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