philologist
Americannoun
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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.
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(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.
Conservator Margalida Munar, papyrologist Leah Mascia, and Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, professor in the Department of Classical, Romance and Semitic Languages, classical philologist, and director of the Oxyrhynchus project, examined the fragile document.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
The whole affair was uncovered after Montaclair named a Romanian philologist Eugen Simion as the next recipient of the prize.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
Vitaliy, a 26-year-old philologist, was hopeful the proposal could lead to a longer halt in combat.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Angel Castaño, a philologist who lives near the artificial lake and serves as the president of a local cultural association, likens the megalith to a gigantic eye gazing into prehistoric Spain.
From New York Times ● Sep. 9, 2022
Syme was a philologist, a specialist in Newspeak.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
