[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/etymology/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [E](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/e/) / etymology

# etymology

noun (etymology, etymologies)

«etymology» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Etymology is the study of where words come from and how they have changed over time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#m1)
2. The etymology of a word is its own history: which language it came from and what it meant before. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English lessons, knowing the etymology of a word helps with spelling and meaning: «bicycle» has «bi» (two) and «cycle» (wheel) from Greek and Latin. Many English words come from Latin, Greek, French, Old Norse and Old English. Phrases: «the etymology of», «folk etymology» (a popular but wrong story about a word's origin).

### Examples

- The etymology of «breakfast» is «breaking your fast» after the night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#x1)
- I love etymology because every word has a story. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#x2)
- «Dinosaur» has a Greek etymology meaning «terrible lizard». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#x3)
- The dictionary gives the etymology at the end of each entry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#x4)
- Etymology shows that «hello» and «hallo» are related. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#x5)
- Some funny stories about word origins are false etymologies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/#x6)

### Note

Plural: etymologies. Do not confuse with «entomology», the study of insects (remember: insects have six legs, and «ent» like «ant»). Many famous word-origin stories (for example that «posh» means «port out, starboard home») are myths.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «etymology» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/etymology/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«etymology» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/etymology.html) on Mova free.