Changes

==Origin==

==Origin==

[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] ''ethimologie'', from Anglo-French, from Latin ''etymologia'', from [[Greek]], from ''etymon'' + -''logia'' -logy. From ''etumon'', neuter singular of ''etumos'' ‘true.’  ''Etymon'' is also used in [[English]] to refer to the source word of a given word. For example, [[Latin]] candidus, which means "white", is the etymon of English candid.

[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] ''ethimologie'', from Anglo-French, from Latin ''etymologia'', from [[Greek]], from ''etymon'' + -''logia'' -logy. From ''etumon'', neuter singular of ''etumos'' ‘true.’  ''Etymon'' is also used in [[English]] to refer to the source word of a given word. For example, [[Latin]] candidus, which means "white", is the etymon of English candid.

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_century 14th Century]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_century 14th Century]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1::  the [[history]] of a [[linguistic]] form (as a word) shown by tracing its [[development]] since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognate cognates] in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common [[ancestral]] form in an ancestral language.

*1::  the [[history]] of a [[linguistic]] form (as a word) shown by tracing its [[development]] since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognate cognates] in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common [[ancestral]] form in an ancestral language.

==Description==

==Description==

'''Etymology''' is the [[study]] of the [[history]] of [[words]], their origins, and how their form and [[meaning]] have changed over time. By an extension, the term "the etymology of [a word]" means the origin of the particular word.

'''Etymology''' is the [[study]] of the [[history]] of [[words]], their origins, and how their form and [[meaning]] have changed over time. By an extension, the term "the etymology of [a word]" means the origin of the particular word.

For [[languages]] with a long written history, etymologists make use of [[texts]] in these languages and texts about the languages to gather [[knowledge]] about how words were used during earlier periods of their history and when they entered the languages in question. Etymologists also apply the [[methods]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_linguistics comparative linguistics] to reconstruct [[information]] about languages that are too old for any direct information to be available.

For [[languages]] with a long written history, etymologists make use of [[texts]] in these languages and texts about the languages to gather [[knowledge]] about how words were used during earlier periods of their history and when they entered the languages in question. Etymologists also apply the [[methods]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_linguistics comparative linguistics] to reconstruct [[information]] about languages that are too old for any direct information to be available.

By analyzing related languages with a [[technique]] known as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_method comparative method], linguists can make [[inferences]] about their shared parent language and its [[vocabulary]]. In this way, word roots have been found that can be traced all the way back to the [[origin]] of, for instance, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languages Indo-European] language family.

By analyzing related languages with a [[technique]] known as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_method comparative method], linguists can make [[inferences]] about their shared parent language and its [[vocabulary]]. In this way, word roots have been found that can be traced all the way back to the [[origin]] of, for instance, the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_languages Indo-European] language family.

Even though etymological [[research]] originally grew from the [[philological]] [[tradition]], currently much etymological research is done on language families where little or no early documentation is available, such as Uralic and Austronesian.

Even though etymological [[research]] originally grew from the [[philological]] [[tradition]], currently much etymological research is done on language families where little or no early documentation is available, such as Uralic and Austronesian.

*Philological research. Changes in the [[form]] and [[meaning]] of the word can be traced with the aid of older [[texts]], if such are available.

*Philological research. Changes in the [[form]] and [[meaning]] of the word can be traced with the aid of older [[texts]], if such are available.

*Making use of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectology dialectological] data. The form or meaning of the word might show variations between [[dialects]], which may yield clues about its earlier history.

*Making use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectology dialectological] data. The form or meaning of the word might show variations between [[dialects]], which may yield clues about its earlier history.

*The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_method comparative method]. By a systematic [[comparison]] of related languages, etymologists may often be able to detect which words derive from their common [[ancestor]] language and which were instead later borrowed from another language.

*The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_method comparative method]. By a systematic [[comparison]] of related languages, etymologists may often be able to detect which words derive from their common [[ancestor]] language and which were instead later borrowed from another language.

*The study of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change semantic change]. Etymologists must often make [[hypotheses]] about changes in the [[meaning]] of particular words. Such hypotheses are tested against the general knowledge of semantic shifts. For example, the assumption of a particular [[change]] of meaning may be substantiated by showing that the same type of change has occurred in other languages as well.

*The study of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change semantic change]. Etymologists must often make [[hypotheses]] about changes in the [[meaning]] of particular words. Such hypotheses are tested against the general knowledge of semantic shifts. For example, the assumption of a particular [[change]] of meaning may be substantiated by showing that the same type of change has occurred in other languages as well.

Etymological theory recognises that words originate through a limited number of basic [[mechanisms]], the most important of which are borrowing (i.e., the adoption of "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loanwords loanwords]" from other languages); word formation such as derivation and compounding; and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onomatopoeia onomatopoeia] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism sound symbolism], (i.e., the creation of imitative words such as "click").

Etymological theory recognises that words originate through a limited number of basic [[mechanisms]], the most important of which are borrowing (i.e., the adoption of "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loanwords loanwords]" from other languages); word formation such as derivation and compounding; and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onomatopoeia onomatopoeia] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism sound symbolism], (i.e., the creation of imitative words such as "click").

While the origin of newly emerged words is often more or less transparent, it tends to become obscured through [[time]] due to sound change or semantic change. Due to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_change sound change], it is not readily obvious that the [[English]] word ''set'' is related to the word ''sit'' (the former is originally a causative formation of the latter). It is even less obvious that [[bless]] is related to [[blood]] (the former was originally a derivative with the meaning "to mark with blood").

While the origin of newly emerged words is often more or less transparent, it tends to become obscured through [[time]] due to sound change or semantic change. Due to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_change sound change], it is not readily obvious that the [[English]] word ''set'' is related to the word ''sit'' (the former is originally a causative formation of the latter). It is even less obvious that [[bless]] is related to [[blood]] (the former was originally a derivative with the meaning "to mark with blood").

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change Semantic change] may also occur. For example, the English word ''bead'' originally meant "[[prayer]]". It acquired its modern [[meaning]] through the practice of counting the [[recitation]] of prayers by using beads.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_change Semantic change] may also occur. For example, the English word ''bead'' originally meant "[[prayer]]". It acquired its modern [[meaning]] through the practice of counting the [[recitation]] of prayers by using beads.

The origin of modern historical linguistics is often traced back to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jones_(philologist) Sir William Jones], an English philologist living in India, who in 1782 observed the [[genetic]] relationship between [[Sanskrit]], [[Greek]] and [[Latin]]. Jones published his ''The Sanscrit Language'' in 1786, laying the [[foundation]] for the field of Indo-European linguistics.

The origin of modern historical linguistics is often traced back to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jones_(philologist) Sir William Jones], an English philologist living in India, who in 1782 observed the [[genetic]] relationship between [[Sanskrit]], [[Greek]] and [[Latin]]. Jones published his ''The Sanscrit Language'' in 1786, laying the [[foundation]] for the field of Indo-European linguistics.

The study of etymology in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_philology Germanic philology] was introduced by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasmus_Christian_Rask Rasmus Christian Rask] in the early 19th century and elevated to a high standard with the ''German Dictionary'' of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Grimm Brothers Grimm]. The successes of the comparative approach culminated in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neogrammarian Neogrammarian] school of the late 19th century. Still in the 19th century, the philosopher [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche] used etymological strategies (principally and most famously in ''On the Genealogy of Morals'', but also elsewhere) to argue that moral [[values]] have definite historical (specifically, cultural) [[origins]] where modulations in [[meaning]] regarding certain concepts (such as "[[good]]" and "[[evil]]") show how these ideas had changed over time—according to which value-system appropriated them. This [[strategy]] gained popularity in the 20th century, and philosophers, such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Derrida Jacques Derrida], have used etymologies to indicate former meanings of words to de-center the "violent hierarchies" of Western philosophy.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology]

The study of etymology in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_philology Germanic philology] was introduced by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasmus_Christian_Rask Rasmus Christian Rask] in the early 19th century and elevated to a high standard with the ''German Dictionary'' of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Grimm Brothers Grimm]. The successes of the comparative approach culminated in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neogrammarian Neogrammarian] school of the late 19th century. Still in the 19th century, the philosopher [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche] used etymological strategies (principally and most famously in ''On the Genealogy of Morals'', but also elsewhere) to argue that moral [[values]] have definite historical (specifically, cultural) [[origins]] where modulations in [[meaning]] regarding certain concepts (such as "[[good]]" and "[[evil]]") show how these ideas had changed over time—according to which value-system appropriated them. This [[strategy]] gained popularity in the 20th century, and philosophers, such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Derrida Jacques Derrida], have used etymologies to indicate former meanings of words to de-center the "violent hierarchies" of Western philosophy.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology]

[[Category: Languages and Literature]]

[[Category: Languages and Literature]]