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philologist

 - 3 dictionary results

phi⋅lol⋅o⋅gy

  [fi-lol-uh-jee]
Use philologist in a Sentence
–noun
1. the study of literary texts and of written records, the establishment of their authenticity and their original form, and the determination of their meaning.
2. (esp. in older use) linguistics, esp. historical and comparative linguistics.
3. Obsolete. the love of learning and literature.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME philologie < L philologia < Gk philología love of learning and literature, equiv. to philólog(os) literary, studious, argumentative + -ia -y 3 . See philo-, -logy

Related forms:
phil⋅o⋅log⋅i⋅cal  [fil-uh-loj-i-kuhl] , phil⋅o⋅log⋅ic, adjective
phil⋅o⋅log⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
phi⋅lol⋅o⋅gist, phi⋅lol⋅o⋅ger, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To philologist
phi·lol·o·gy   (fĭ-lŏl'ə-jē)   
n.  

  1. Literary study or classical scholarship.

  2. See historical linguistics.


[Middle English philologie, from Latin philologia, love of learning, from Greek philologiā, from philologos, fond of learning or of words : philo-, philo- + logos, reason, speech; see -logy.]
phi·lol'o·ger, phi·lol'o·gist n., phil'o·log'ic (fĭl'ə-lŏj'ĭk), phil'o·log'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj., phil'o·log'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

philology 
c.1386, "love of learning," from O.Fr. philologie, from L. philologia "love of learning, love of letters," from Gk. philologia "love of discussion, learning, and literature," from philo- "loving" + logos "word, speech." Meaning "science of language" is first attested 1716; this confusing secondary sense has never been popular in the U.S., where linguistics (q.v.) is preferred.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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