Phi-lŏl'o-ġy, n.

n. [Gr. φιλολογία, Lat. philologia, Fr. philologie, It. & Sp. filologia. See PHILOLOGER.] The study of language, especially in a philosophical manner; the investigation of the laws of human speech, the relation of different tongues to one another, and the historical development of any particular language.

☞ Philology comprehends a knowledge of the etymology, or origin and combination, of words; grammar, the construction of sentences, or use of words in language; criticism, the interpretation of authors, the affinities of different languages, and whatever relates to the history or present state of languages. It sometimes includes rhetoric, poetry, history, and antiquities.