Etymology

Etymology is the study of the origin of individual words, their chronology, their incorporation into a language, as well as the source and details of their changes in form and meaning. In languages with a long written history, etymology is a discipline related to philology and historical linguistics, which includes the study of the origin of words by investigating their original meaning, their structure, as well as their diachronic evolution. that is, possible changes that have occurred over time. Likewise, to obtain some direct source, for example writing, by means of comparative linguistic methods, data related to extremely ancient languages can be reconstructed. Thus, through analysis of other related languages, linguists can draw inferences about the language from which they originate and its vocabulary.

Origin of the word etymology

The word etymology comes from the Latin etymologĭa; this, in turn, from the Greek ἐτυμολοɣία, composed of ἔτυμος, étymos («[ element] true, authentic"), λόɣος, lógos ("treatise, study, word") and the ending -ία, -ía indicating relationship.

History

The Greek poet Pindar used creative etymologies to flatter his patrons. Plutarch used etymologies based insecurely on fanciful similarities of sounds. One of the early definitions of etymology, which also provides a fairly clear idea of the conception prevailing in classical times –and later– about this discipline is the one written around the year 630 by the grammarian Melampus in his comments to the Tékhne Grammatiké, of Dionysus of Thrace:

γ.τυμογία γσειν γ. γ. γ. γ. γ. γιγ. γ. γ. γ. σγ. σγ.ς σαειλειελειεεεεειιιιαεταιπις γ. γ. λεταεις γιεταεταις γ.γ.γ.γ. γ. γιεταεταεταταικικικικιετα [...]γ.γ. γ [...]γ [...]γ [...] γ.γ.γ. γ. γ. γ. γ. γ. γιγιγ.γ. γ. γιγ [...] γιγ.γ. γιγ. γ. γ. γ. γιγ.γ. γ.γ.γ. γ.γ.γιγ. γ.γιγ. γ. γ. γ ου ου ου ου ονονον ονον ονου ονον ονον ονον ον ονον ον ονον ονον ον ον ον ον ονον ονονονον ονον οονονονονονονονονονονονονοοοοοονονοονονονονοοοοονοοοοοοοοοοοοονονοοοοονοοοοοοονονοονοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοονονοοοοοονοοοοοοοοοοονοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοο πάλιν ε. τις.ροιτό με, πδόντες δις δι, τγονται, τρος ταος σ. σἰ ο σες ερος ανειος ου ο.δοντεντεος σντεος, σντεντεν, σιντεντεντεντενιος σιν, πντεν, πντεν, σν, σεντεν, πντεν, πντεντεν, πντεν, πντεν, σιος σος πν, πντεν, εντεν,

Etymology is the dismemberment of the words, by which the truth is clarified;.τυμον, in fact, it is called the true [...] Then etymology is as if it were said φλθινολγογα (“study of the truth”), because the Greek words were not in their origin disposed to every thing at random, but that through the analysis of the sense we discovered by what. As if someone asked me why it is called βλέφαρον (“parpado”): changing the φ in π and departing from the word, I discovered that it is called βλέφαρον because when it is lifted “look up”, as if it were βλεπθρον (“look up”). Or, without changing anything, just starting from the word, I found that it is like a φ.ρος (“mantle”) because it is the cobertor of our gaze. On the other hand, if you ask me why it is called γλισα (“lengua”), changing the λ in ν and the second σ in τ, I say γνωστ (“known”), which makes “cognoscible” to listeners what is in our mind. For by no other physical organ we know the thought of each one. Moreover, if anyone asks me why they are called ὀδόντες (“dientes”), changing the ο in ε I found something like.δοντες, that is, “those who eat”, and, in fact, thanks to them we eat.

Etymologicum genuineum is a grammatical encyclopedia published in Constantinople in the 9th century, one of many similar Byzantine works.

Etymologiae, by Isidore of Seville, was an encyclopedia of inquiry into "first things", which, without criticism, remained in use in Europe until the 16th century.

Cicero, in Tópica (Topics) 8, 35, when translating works from the Greek classics, used the word vērĭlŏquĭum, plural vērĭlŏquĭi, from vērus: true, and lŏquor: to speak, but preferred the diction nŏtātiŏ: note, observation, objection.

Here are three quotes from the German Wiktionary:

Ea est autem, cum ex vi nominis argumentum elicitur; quam Graeci /25070/ευμολογίαν appellant, id est verbum ex verbo veriloquium; nos autem novitatem verbi non satis apti fugientes genus hoc notationem appellamus, quia sunt verba rerum notae.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Topica, 35

Quintilian quotes it, 1, 6, 28:

Nam verbum ex verbo ductum, id est veriloquium, ipse Cicero, qui finxit, reformidat.

Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, 1, 6, 28.

Likewise, Isidore of Seville (or Isidorus Hispalensis), in his work Sententiae (Sentences) uses this word:

Nonnunquam skirts veriloquio adiungitur, et plerumque a veritate incipit qui false confingit.

Isidorus Hispalensis, Sententiae, 2, 30, 4.

Etymological science

Etymology includes not only the analysis of the roots (radicals) of words, but also their constituent elements: ending, theme, termination and radical.

The study of etymology helps:

• to the understanding of the meaning of the words;
• enlargement of personal vocabulary;
• to improve spelling;
• to the correct application of the synonym, because only very few synonyms are 100% equivalent.

Using ancient texts, etymologists try to find out the chronology and modality of incorporation, the evolution –towards the current language– and the mutations that have occurred to a word. The etymology in Spanish and Catalan owes much to the work of the Catalan philologist Joan Coromines, from the 20th century.

The assessment of its importance has varied according to current trends. Its golden age occurred during the 19th century, when important etymological study projects were undertaken, such as those that culminated in the publication of the following works:

• Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

• (Primer) General etymological dictionary of the Spanish language, from Roque Barcia, in 1880.

Examples

The emergence and modification of most words occurs through constant usage. Language is not a static entity, but rather evolves, modifies and feeds itself. Below are two examples of words incorporated by use, then adopted by law.

Flipar

In Spain it is very common to use this verb, especially among young people, with the meaning of "astonishment, because it is not expected or because it seems to be seen in another way, very different, or just backwards" or, more popularly, that it makes "voking the mind", since the term flip, In English, it denotes “turning” or “flying something”. Although the word, already incorporated into the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, is linked mainly to the effects that the drug causes in the human mind and, secondly, to be or to be excited.

Subasta

At the time of the Romans there was a type of contract that consisted of placing an "asta" or "lanza" on the earth, which divided different types of goods. Then a lawyer, who could be the pretor, was responsible for listening to the offers of the people for the goods located under the “asta” (sub asta). Hence the origin of this dictation.