philology Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the humanistic study of language and literature
    linguistics.

WordNet

Phi*lol"o*gy noun
Etymology
L. philologia love of learning, interpretation, philology, Gr. : cf. F. philologie. See Philologer.
Definitions
  1. Criticism; grammatical learning. R. Johnson.
  2. The study of language, especially in a philosophical manner and as a science; the investigation of the laws of human speech, the relation of different tongues to one another, and historical development of languages; linguistic science. ✍ 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.
  3. A treatise on the science of language.

Webster 1913