NYT Dictionary

ETYMOLOGY

/ˌɛtəˈmɒləd͡ʒi/
Noune-ty-MO-lo-gye-ty-mo-lo-gy · 5 syllablesGrade 12

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026

Meaning

The scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *set-? Ancient Greek ἐτεός (eteós)der.? Ancient Greek ἔτυμος (étumos) Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *lóǵos Proto-Hellenic *lógos Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) Ancient Greek -λογος (-logos) Ancient Greek ἐτῠμόλογος (etŭmólogos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek ἐτῠμολογῐ́ᾱ (etŭmologĭ́ā)bor. Latin etymologiader. Old French ethimologiebor. Middle English ethymologie English 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 or logic of”), from λόγος (lógos, “word; explanation”). By surface analysis, etymo- + -logy.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

derivationdialectologyeponymyglossematicsglossologyglottochronologyglottologygrammargraphemicslexicology

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles, including a pangram:

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