etymology
nounUK /ˌet.ɪˈmɒl.ə.dʒi/
US /ˌet̬.əˈmɑː.lə.dʒi/
The study of where words come from and how their meanings changed over time.
In class today we learned the etymology of the word 'sandwich.'
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The history of a particular word and how it developed.
The etymology of 'nice' shows it once meant 'foolish.'
3. The branch of linguistics that studies word origins.
She studied etymology at university.
4. An account or explanation of how a word came to be.
He gave a short etymology of his family name.