ethnology

[eth-nol-uh-jee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ethnology ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

Origin of ethnology

First recorded in 1835–45; ethno- + -logy

Related formseth·no·log·i·cal

[eth-nuh-loj-i-kuh l] /ˌɛθ nəˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl/, eth·no·log·ic, adjectiveeth·no·log·i·cal·ly, adverbeth·nol·o·gist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ethnology

development, lifestyle, knowledge, habit, society, civilization, folklore, mores, customs, convention, humanism, grounding, folkways

Examples from the Web for ethnology

Contemporary Examples of ethnology

For instance, the Bureau of Ethnology targeted Native Americans in the 19th century.
Send in the Marines—and the Anthropologists too?
John Kael Weston
August 23, 2013

Historical Examples of ethnology

There is a glorious simplicity in his views on Caledonian ethnology.
Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of Scotland
Daniel Turner Holmes
The comparison and contrast are made by the Bureau of Ethnology.
Myths and Legends of the Great Plains
Unknown
In 1842 societies were founded in Paris and London to promote the study of ethnology.
Albert Gallatin
John Austin Stevens
It is now deposited in the library of the Bureau of Ethnology.
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees
James Mooney
He started off on ethnology, and we toured the Near East again.
The Troubadour
Robert Augustine Ward Lowndes

British Dictionary definitions for ethnology

ethnology

noun

the branch of anthropology that deals with races and peoples, their relations to one another, their origins, and their distinctive characteristics

Derived Formsethnologic (ˌɛθnəˈlɒdʒɪk) or ethnological, adjectiveethnologically, adverbethnologist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ethnology

1842, from ethno- + -logy. Related: Ethnologist.

ethnology in Culture

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.