Example of Etymology of Words

The etymology of a word refers to Where are you from, namely, what words does it come from a word, how the word was formed and how it acquired its meanings. Therefore, etymology is a part of linguistics that studies these phenomena.

Words in Spanish usually come from latin or greek, since Spanish is a Romance language.

For example:

• Childhood (meaning: ‘period of life that goes until puberty’): word whose origin is the Latin word infantia, which is formed by infans, infantis (which means 'the one who does not speak'); this in turn is formed by the prefix in- (involving denial or deprivation) and for, faru, fatis (which means 'talk').

In addition to the words from Latin, also we can find words of foreign origin (what we know as foreign words)

For example, we can find words from:

• English origin or Anglicisms; p. ex. the word closet that comes from english closet)
• Arabic origin or arabisms; p. ex. the word cupboard that comes from Hispanic Arabic alẖazána
• Galician or Galician origin; p. ex. the word albariño which comes from Galician albariño
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• Japanese origin or Japaneseisms; p. ex. the word mikado which comes from japanese mikado
• Italian origin or italianisms; p. ex. the word cartoon which comes from italian cartoon)
• Click to see more examples of foreigners

• Continue reading: etymological words

25 Examples of word etymology:

1. Anthropology. It comes from the Greek anthropo- (which means 'man') and the Greek logos (which means 'treated'). Meaning of the word: ‘science that studies the human being’.
2. Anthropoid. It comes from the Greek anthropo- (which means 'man') and the Greek eïdos (which means 'aspect', 'shape'). Meaning of the word: ‘that looks like or resembles the human being’.
3. Action. It comes from the Latin actio, actiōnis: actus (which means 'something that is carried out') and the suffix -cion (which means 'action and effect'). Meaning of the word: 'the result of doing something'.
4. Lycanthropy. It comes from the Greek lykanthrōpia (λυκανθρωπία): lýkos ​​(which means 'wolf') and anthropos- (which means 'man'). Meaning of the word: ‘transformation of a human being into a wolf’, ‘mental disorder in which a person believes they have become a wolf’.
5. Misfortune. It comes from the Latin misfortune: prefix in- (with a sense of denial) + Fortune (which means 'luck') + suffix -io (which means 'result'). Meaning of the word: ‘adverse fortune’, ‘state or result of having bad luck’.
6. Denial. It comes from the Latin negative: I will deny (say no) and the suffix -cion (which means 'action and effect'). Meaning of the word: ‘the action and the effect of saying no or denying something’.
7. Lack. It comes from the Latin carentia: carere (which means 'deprivation of something') and the suffix -ia (which means 'quality'). Meaning of the word: ‘deprivation or lack of something’.
8. Philanthropy. It comes from the Greek philanthrōpía (φιλανθρωπία): philos (which means 'friend') and the Greek anthropo- (which means 'man'). Meaning of the word: ‘love of the human being’.
9. Android. It comes from modern Latin androids, and this one from the Greek, anḗr (ἀνήρ), andrós (ἀνδρός) which means 'male' and eïdos (which means 'aspect', 'shape'). Meaning of the word: ‘that looks like a man’, ‘automaton that has a human figure’.
10. Gynecology. It is formed by the prefix gynecology- which comes from the greek gynaikós, gynē- (which means' woman) and the Greek logos (which means 'treated'). Meaning of the word: ‘branch of medicine that studies the female reproductive system’
11. Psychology. It comes from the Greek psyche - (meaning ‘soul’, ‘mind’) and the Greek logos (which means 'treated'). Meaning of the word: ‘science that studies the human mind and behavior’
12. Etymology. It comes from the Greek etymology (ἐτυμολογία): from etymos (which means 'true'), the Greek logos (which means ‘treated’, ‘word’) and the suffix -ia (which means 'quality'). Meaning of the word: ‘origin of the meaning and form of the words’.
13. Gastronomy. It comes from the Greek gastronomy (γαστρονομία): from gaster, gastrós (which means 'stomach'), nomos (which means 'rule') and the suffix -ia (which means 'quality'). Meaning of the word: ‘art or quality of preparing food well’
14. Cacophony. It comes from the Greek kakophōnía (κακοφωνία): from kakos (meaning 'bad' or 'bad'), the Greek phone (which means 'sound') and the suffix -ia (which means 'quality'). Meaning of the word: ‘combination of sounds that is not harmonic’
15. Sound. It comes from the Latin sontus: from I will sound (which means 'to produce or make a sound') and the suffix -gone (which means 'something that can be perceived by the senses'). Meaning of the word: ‘sensation in the auditory apparatus caused by the vibration of the bodies’.
16. Euphoria. It comes from the Greek euphoria (εὐφορία) which means 'easy capacity to endure', 'quality of supporting something' or 'feeling of well-being'. Meaning of the word: ‘enthusiasm or optimism’.
17. Road. It comes from vulgar Latin cammīnus and this, in turn, of Celtic origin. Meaning of the word: ‘land where you travel’, ‘direction that is followed’, ‘mode of behavior’.
18. Wolf. It comes from the Latin lupus. Meaning of the word: ‘wild, hairy, sharp-headed carnivorous mammal’
19. Wild. It comes from Catalan and Occitan salvatge; this in turn from french sauvage, and this from latin silvaticus: silva (jungle). Meaning of the word: ‘that grows without being cultivated’, ‘undomesticated animal’, ‘something primitive or uncivilized’
20. Hydraulic. It comes from the Latin hydraulĭcus, and this to his z from the Greek gr. hydraulikós (ὑδραυλικός) which refers to a 'musical organ moved by water'. Meaning of the word: ‘that is moved by means of water’.
21. Ephebology. It comes from the Greek ephebos- (which means 'adolescent'; from epí what is 'en' + Hebe which means 'adolescence') and the Greek logos (which means 'treated'). Meaning of the word: ‘part of psychology that is dedicated to studying the stage of adolescence’.
22. Mister. It comes from the Latin senior, -ōris (which means 'older'). Meaning of the word: ‘person who governs in a certain area’, ‘person who reaches a certain age’, ‘respectable person and of a certain category’.
23. Old man. It comes from the Latin antianus, this in turn is formed by the prefix ante- (which means 'before'). Meaning of the word: ‘person of advanced age’.
24. Biodegradable. It is formed by the prefix bio-, which comes from the greek bios (which means ‘life’), and of degrade, a word that comes from Latin degradāre: from- (‘Going in the direction from top to bottom) + gradus (which means 'step' or 'step') + the suffix -able (which means 'something that can'). Meaning of the word: ‘that can be degraded by biological action’)
25. Lifetime. It comes from the Latin vita. Meaning of the word: ‘force or energy of organic beings’, ‘fact of being alive’.

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