philology

[ fi-lol-uh-jee ]

/ fɪˈlɒl ə dʒi /

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See synonyms for: philologer / philological / philologist on Thesaurus.com

noun

the study of literary texts and of written records, the establishment of their authenticity and their original form, and the determination of their meaning.

(especially in older use) linguistics, especially historical and comparative linguistics.

Obsolete. the love of learning and literature.

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Origin of philology

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English philologie, Latin philologia, from Greek philología “love of learning and literature,” equivalent to philólog(os) “literary, studious, argumentative” + -ia -y³; see philo-, -logy

OTHER WORDS FROM philology

phil·o·log·i·cal

[fil-uh-loj-i-kuhl], /ˌfɪl əˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl/, phil·o·log·ic, adjectivephil·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverbphi·lol·o·gist, phi·lol·o·ger, nounnon·phil·o·log·ic, adjective

non·phil·o·log·i·cal, adjectiveun·phil·o·log·ic, adjectiveun·phil·o·log·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby philology

philogyny, Philo Judaeus, philol., philologian, philologist, philology, philomath, philomel, Philomela, Philomelides, philopena

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use philology in a sentence

Jews and Arabs reach back, via philology as well as place of origin, to the same gene pool.
The History Behind Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis’s Awkward Jesus Moment|Jay Parini|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Under this, the only scientific conception of Philology, the study of Antiquities takes at once a higher place.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
Whitney puts it thus: Philology deals with human speech and with all that speech discloses as to the nature and history of man.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
But Classical Philology is much more than the science of understanding and interpreting the classical languages.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston

Celtic ethnology and philology (see Celt) are still in the "age of discussion."
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
It is not probable that the study of philology will ever attract the same attention here that it does abroad.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various

British Dictionary definitions for philology

philology

/ (fɪˈlɒlədʒɪ) /

noun

comparative and historical linguistics

the scientific analysis of written records and literary texts

(no longer in scholarly use) the study of literature in general

Derived forms of philology

philological (ˌfɪləˈlɒdʒɪkəl), adjectivephilologically, adverbphilologist or rare philologer, noun

Word Origin for philology

C17: from Latin philologia, from Greek: love of language

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