etymologist
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒɪst/
- Specialized
- An etymologist studies how words have evolved over time and what they meant in the past.
Examples
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An etymologist.
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The common people are all amateur etymologists, and they like to put into every word some familiar glimmer of sense.
Academic text (2006) -
Any minute, I thought, every door in the hall will fly open, and out of each, an etymologist will thrust his head.
Fiction book (1991) -
The etymologist finds the deadest word to have been once a brilliant picture.
Blog text (18) -
All the etymologists ordered sandwiches, soup, and tea, no liquor.
Fiction book (1991) -
You're an etymologist, right?
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Etymologists.
Fiction book (1991) -
My thoughts were so profound, my words so eloquent, the room of etymologists rose in unison to applaud me.
Fiction book (1991) -
Romance etymologists have generally assumed that domitare persisted only in Gallo-Romance, where it prevailed at an early date over primitive domare.
Academic text (2000) -
During the lecture, the etymologist explained the origins of many common English words.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A person who studies old written languages and texts like Latin or Greek
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Etymologist comes from Greek parts: etymo- meaning 'true, original' and -logist meaning 'someone who studies', as in biologist. So an etymologist studies the original 'true' history and meaning of words.