Words carry histories inside them. Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their forms and meanings have changed over time.

Etymologists compare related languages, examine early written records, and apply knowledge of regular sound change to reconstruct earlier stages. Folk etymology sometimes reshapes words to look more familiar, creating misleading surface stories. Reliable etymologies rest on systematic evidence rather than superficial resemblance.

Dictionary etymology sections compress this research for general readers. Understanding etymology can deepen vocabulary knowledge and reveal cultural contact through loanwords. It also cautions against assuming that a word’s current meaning matches its historical root.

• Study of word origins and history
• Uses comparison, texts, and sound-change laws
• Distinguishes scholarly from folk etymology
• Illuminates contact and semantic change