Et'y-mōl'ō-gy, n.
n. [Gr. ἐτυμολογία, from ἔτυμον and λόγος, discourse, description, from λέγειν, to say, speak; Lat. etymologia, Fr. étymologie. See infra.]
- That branch of philological science which treats of the history of words and grammatical forms, tracing out their origin, primitive significance, and changes of form and meaning.
- That part of grammar which relates to the changes in the forms of words in a language, or inflection.