etymology Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a history of a word
  2. noun the study of the sources and development of words

WordNet

Et`y*mol"o*gy noun
Etymology
L.etymologia, Gr. etymon + discourse, description: cf. F. étymologie. See Etymon, and -logy.
Wordforms
plural Etymologies
Definitions
  1. That branch of philological science which treats of the history of words, tracing out their origin, primitive significance, and changes of from and meaning.
  2. That pert of grammar which relates to the changes in the form of the words in a language; inflection.

Webster 1913