The most respected print dictionaries for English’s etymology include An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, and The Oxford English Dictionary. The last also has an online subscription option. There is also a free, well-researched online dictionary that’s specifically dedicated to etymology, available here: http://www. etymonline. com/

For instance, the word “etymology” itself has Greek roots: “etymos,” which means, “true sense,” and “logia,” which means, “study of. ”[3] X Research source Besides helping you to understand the origin of a word, knowing its roots can help you understand other words with similar roots. In the case of “etymology,” you’ll note that the root “logia,” which means “the study of,” appears in multiple other places in modern English, from “biology” to “astrology. ”[4] X Expert Source Katherine DembyTest Prep Specialist Expert Interview. 17 December 2020. Take note of any patterns you find, particularly if you’re working with the etymologies of multiple words. This will help streamline your studies.

Etymological dictionaries will usually present this trajectory in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent usage and showing where each iteration came from in turn. If we return to the word “etymology,” it entered into Old English as ethimolegia (“facts of the origin and development of a word”), from Old French etimologie, ethimologie, from Latin etymologia, from Greek etymologia (“analysis of a word to find its true origin”). So, it appeared in the written record of 3 languages (Greek, Latin, and French) before it entered into English.

For example, “etymology” entered English in the 14th century but did not take on its modern spelling and definition until the 1640s. [7] X Research source

For instance, the word “queen” comes from the Middle English “quene,” which can be seen in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and the Old English “cwen,” which appears in Beowulf. [8] X Research source

It’s also edifying to look up those words that seem so normal that you’ve taken their origins for granted. For instance, if you study the etymology of a familiar word like “nostril,” you’ll find that it comes from Old English “nosu” (nose) and “pyrel” or “thrill” (hole). It’s literally a “nose hole. ” You’ll also note that “pyrel” and “thrill” once sounded alike in English, which shows how far the language has developed phonically. That also means that the word “nostril” is surprisingly related to the word “thrilling. ”

For instance, you may wonder where a word like “disaster” came from. When you look it up, you’ll find that its Greek roots are the negative prefix “dis” and “astron” (star). So, it’s earliest meaning was something like “bad star. ” This might be surprising until you consider Greek astrology and their strong belief that celestial bodies exerted control over our lives on Earth. [9] X Research source

In the case of etymology, there are not a lot of related words, but you can see that “etymological,” “etymologically,” and “etymologist” are all closely related forms. In the case of a word like “autopsy” with the Greek root “autos” (meaning, “self”), there’ll be a whole host of related words, from “autonomy” (self-governing) to “automobile” (self-moving) to “automatic” (self-acting). [11] X Research source

Etymology Explorer gives you engaging visual maps of word origins that are complete with full definitions, linguistic histories, and links to related words. [12] X Research source WordBook is a comprehensive dictionary app with a significant etymological component that provides the word origins and links to related words for thousands of entries.

The Open University has a free online course available on the history of the English Language that you can take at your own pace. It explores etymology alongside lexicography. [14] X Research source

University libraries will probably have more etymology-related resources available than public libraries. This is also a great opportunity to delve into specific types of etymology that may interest you. For instance, you can get an etymology book associated with a specific language or dialect or with a particular field, like geography or medicine.

If you’re looking for more academic results, try using a site like Google Scholar.

For blogs, try the Oxford Etymologist, The Etyman Language Blog, or Omniglot Blog. For podcasts, try The Allusionist, Lexicon Valley, or The History of English.

Keep in mind that you will have to be enrolled at a college or university in order to take a course through them. Most courses taken for credit will require you to be accepted as a student through a formal application process and to pay a tuition fee.

The QS World University Rankings publishes an annual list of the top international programs in Linguistics according to their strengths in research and reputation along with their student and faculty ratio and diversity. [16] X Research source

Dictionaries require constant updates to word definitions and etymologies, which means they always need new editorial staff. Search for job openings at dictionaries that interest you. They could be anything from the Oxford English Dictionary to Dictionary. com.