etymology

Etymology

From Middle English ethymologie, from Old French ethimologie, from Latin etymologia, from Ancient Greek ἐτυμολογία (etumología), from ἔτυμον (étumon, “true sense”) and -λογία (-logía, “study of”), from λόγος (lógos, “word; explanation”).

noun

1. (uncountable, linguistics) The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.
2. (countable) The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history; the derivation.
   Although written the same, the words lead (the metal) and lead (the verb) have totally different etymologies.
   The etymology of the term Japlish is disputed and contentiously so. 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 13
3. (countable) An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.
   Where did this name Harlequin (or Arlechin) come from? Most etymologies for the name give the Hellequin theory. 02 July 23, Talia Felix, “Homing in on Harlequin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
4. (countable) The direct origin of a name, as in who someone was named after.
   I'm sure you know the etymology of your name, Goodspeed. 1996, The Rock