ethnology
[eth-nol-uh-jee]
- a branch of anthropology that analyzes cultures, especially in regard to their historical development and the similarities and dissimilarities between them.
- (formerly) a branch of cultural anthropology dealing with the origin, distribution, and distinguishing characteristics of human societies.
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Origin of ethnology
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
developmentlifestyleknowledgehabitsocietycivilizationfolkloremorescustomsconventionethnologyhumanismgroundingfolkwaysExamples from the Web for ethnology
Contemporary Examples
For instance, the Bureau of Ethnology targeted Native Americans in the 19th century.
Historical Examples
There is a glorious simplicity in his views on Caledonian ethnology.
Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of ScotlandDaniel Turner Holmes
The comparison and contrast are made by the Bureau of Ethnology.
In 1842 societies were founded in Paris and London to promote the study of ethnology.
Albert GallatinJohn Austin Stevens
It is now deposited in the library of the Bureau of Ethnology.
The Sacred Formulas of the CherokeesJames Mooney
He started off on ethnology, and we toured the Near East again.
The TroubadourRobert Augustine Ward Lowndes
ethnology
- the branch of anthropology that deals with races and peoples, their relations to one another, their origins, and their distinctive characteristics
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for ethnology
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ethnology
[(eth-nol-uh-jee)]
The study of contemporary cultures, in order to develop a theoretical framework for analyzing human society. Cultural anthropologists generally study societies by living among the people, observing, interviewing, and participating in their activities. More than simply describing the customs of these societies, anthropologists attempt to uncover underlying patterns and structures of cultural characteristics, such as language, mythology, gender roles, symbols (see also symbol), and rituals.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.