ethnology
/eθˈnɒlədʒi/eth-NO-luh-jee
/ɛθˈnɑlədʒi/eth-NAH-luh-jee
Meaningthe study of peoples
Common meaning: the comparative study of peoples
- ethna nation; a body of peopleLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 226 · scan
- loga word, saying; reckoning, reasonLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 476 · scan
- ynoun ending: study, state or act
‘a nation’ + ‘a word, saying’ → ethnology
Journey through time
Neither part’s path through time is traced in our sources yet; each root is shown from its dictionary entry.
- ethn — Greek ἔθνος “a nation; a body of people” (dictionary form; path not traced)
- log — Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) “a word, saying; reckoning, reason” (dictionary form; path not traced)
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek ἔθνος ‘a nation; a body of people’ + Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) ‘a word, saying; reckoning, reason’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry ἔθνος, p. 226 · dictionary scan
Roots
- λόγος (lógos) Ancient Greek “a word, saying; reckoning, reason”
- ἔθνος Greek “a nation; a body of people”
Related words
analogousanthologyanthropologyantitechnologyastrologyatheologybiologycardiologychronologydermatologyecologyepilogue
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