philologist
Americannoun
-
a person who specializes in philology, the study of literary texts and written records.
An interdisciplinary collaboration between philologists, chemists, and computer scientists is yielding new insights about these medieval manuscripts, all written in different languages or scripts, and most in poor condition.
-
(especially in older use) a person who specializes in linguistics, especially historical and comparative linguistics.
The origin of modern historical linguistics is often traced back to Sir William Jones, the English philologist who, in 1782, observed the genetic relationship between Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin.
Etymology
Origin of philologist
Explanation
A philologist is someone who studies the history of languages, especially by looking closely at literature. If you're fascinated with the way English has changed over time, from Beowulf to Beloved, you might want to become a philologist. Linguistics is the study of language, and a philologist is a type of linguist. For a philologist, the most fascinating part of linguistics is the way the history of language, its grammar, and its meaning, can be studied by analyzing written texts and oral traditions of storytelling. Any philologist can tell you that the word comes from the Greek philologia, "love of learning, discussion, and literature."
Vocabulary lists containing philologist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its chief editor, according to her LinkedIn page, is Ukraine-based philologist Ksenia Badziun, who says she graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
From Science Magazine • Apr. 6, 2022
One of the central researchers in the early years of Antikythera research was German philologist Albert Rehm, the first person to understand the mechanism as a calculating machine.
From Scientific American • Dec. 14, 2021
Coined by philologist Walter William Skeat in 1886, ghost words are often the result of misreadings and typographical errors.
From Salon • Oct. 4, 2021
His books and essays frequently resurrect fascinating if half-forgotten polymaths, such as astrologer-mathematician Girolamo Cardano, Renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti, philologist Joseph Scaliger and groundbreaking philosopher of history Giambattista Vico.
From Washington Post • Nov. 17, 2020
He was a philologist, looking at how language evolves over time.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
