User:Calypygian/-logy

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-logy is a suffix in English, found in words originally adapted from Greek words ending in -λογία (-logia). The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin -logia.[1]

It has two main senses in English:[2]

  1. a combining form used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledge (e.g. theology or biology)
  2. an ending of nouns that refer to kinds of writing or collections of writing (e.g. eulogy or trilogy)


Etymology[edit]

In the first case, -logy is derived originally from -λογ- (-log-) (a variant of -λεγ-, -leg-), from the Greek verb λέγειν (legein, 'to speak').[3] The suffix has the sense of 'the character or department of one who speaks or treats of [a certain subject]', or more succinctly, 'the study of [a certain subject]'.[4] In the second case, -logy is derived originally from the Greek noun λόγος (logos, 'speech').[5] The suffix has the sense of '[a certain kind of] speaking or writing'.[6]

Etymology (alternative suggestion by ἀνυπόδητος (talk))[edit]

In words of the type theology, the suffix is derived originally from -λογ- (-log-) (a variant of -λεγ-, -leg-), from the Greek verb λέγειν (legein, 'to speak').[7] The suffix has the sense of 'the character or department of one who speaks or treats of [a certain subject]', or more succinctly, 'the study of [a certain subject]'.[8]

In words of the type trilogy, the suffix is derived originally from the Greek noun λόγος (logos, 'speech').[9] The suffix has the sense of '[a certain kind of] speaking or writing'.[10]

-logy versus -ology[edit]

In English names for fields of study, the suffix -logy is most frequently found preceded by the vowel o so the word ends in -ology. In traditional English grammar, the -o- in -ology is not considered part of the suffix -logy. This is because the -o- is not part of the suffix in the original Greek names for fields of study: In these Greek words, the root is always a noun and -o- is the combining vowel for all declensions of Greek nouns. However, when new names for fields of study have been coined in modern English, the formations ending in -logy almost invariably follow the Greek model by adding an -o-, even though there is no grammatical necessity in English. There are two exceptions: petralogy (a variant of petrology) and mineralogy.[11]

Additional usage as a suffix[edit]

In English, words ending in -logy are sometimes used to describe a subject rather than the study of it (e.g. technology). This usage is particularly widespread in medicine; for example, pathology is often used not simply to refer to 'the study of a disease' but to refer to 'the disease' itself (e.g. "We haven't found the pathology yet").

When appended to other English words, the suffix can also be used humorously to create nonce words (e.g. beerology as 'the study of beer', Wikiology as 'the study of Wikipedia'). As with other classical compounds, adding the suffix to a initial word-stem derived from Greek or Latin may be used to lend grandeur or the impression of scientific rigor to humble pursuits, as in cosmetology ('the study of hairdressing') or cynology ('the study of dog training').

Additional usage as a substantive[edit]

When used as a proper noun, Ology can refer to a particular series of fantasy books and fictional encyclopedias. These currently include Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons, Egyptology: Search for the Tomb of Osiris, Wizardology: The Secrets of Merlin, Pirateology: A Pirate Hunter's Companion, and Mythology: Greek Gods, Heroes, & Monsters.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "-logy." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. retrieved 20 Aug. 2008.
  2. ^ "-logy." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. retrieved 20 Aug. 2008.
  3. ^ "-logy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford University Press, 1986. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.
  4. ^ "-logy." Online Etymology Dictionary. retrieved 20 Aug. 2008
  5. ^ "-logy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford University Press, 1986. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.
  6. ^ "-logy." The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 1989. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.
  7. ^ "-logy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford University Press, 1986. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.
  8. ^ "-logy." Online Etymology Dictionary. retrieved 20 Aug. 2008
  9. ^ "-logy." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford University Press, 1986. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.
  10. ^ "-logy." The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 1989. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.
  11. ^ "-logy." The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. Oxford University Press, 1989. retrieved 20 Aug 2008.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]


English words ending in -logy with the sense of 'the study of [a subject]'
English words ending in -logy with the sense of '[a certain kind of] speech or writing'
  • Anthology, a collection of literary pieces (such as poems).
  • Apology
    • a statement of regret.
    • an explanation for or justification of beliefs.
  • Autology, the attribute (of a word) of being self descriptive. The word "polysyllabic" is autological because it is polysyllabic. (compare heterology)
  • Chronology is the arrangement or setting out of past events in order of occurrence; the recording of historical events in date sequence.
  • Dilogy is
    • ambiguous or equivocal speech, or
    • a work composed in two parts (see trilogy)
  • Docimology, a treatise on the art of testing, e.g. in assaying metals.
  • Doxology, a spoken or sung end of a prayer.
  • Eulogy, a commemoration of a person's life at his/her funeral.
  • Hagiology is literature dealing with the life of a saint or, indeed, any revered person, a biography of an individual, rather than a study of saints, sainthood or saintliness in general.
  • Heterology
    • a dissimilarity of parts often attributable to a difference in origin.
    • the attribute (of a word) of not being self descriptive. The word "monosyllabic" is heterological because it is not monosyllabic. (compare autology)
  • Homology, concept in anthropology, biology, algebraic topology, and sociology, meaning "likeness in structure"
  • Ideology, sometimes spelled idealogy, is a system of ideas about politics, human life or culture.
  • Menology, a register of months, or a calendar of the lives of the saints for each day of the year.
  • Necrology, a list of people who have died, especially in the recent past or during a specific period.
  • Philology, the historical study of languages. This is not a ology in the strict sense, because it is not the study (-ologia) of love (philo-), but the love (philo-) of literature (logia).
  • Phraseology is the way words are put together, therefore the style being used in a sentence, or the set of phrases or the choice of words used by any particular group of people, or a type of register that reflects the form of language used in a certain social situation in which particular subjects are being discussed.
  • Tautology, a self-affirming truth.
  • Terminology, a set of words and/or phrases, usually in relation to some particular canon or field of study e.g. 'mathematical terminology'.
  • Tetralogy of Fallot, an abnormality of the heart consisting of four deformities that often occur together.
  • Trilogy is a body of writing in three parts, as tetralogy is that in four parts. Other words such as pentalogy, hexalogy, heptalogy or septology, octology, nonology, and dekology cover larger series.
  • Tropology, the use of tropes in speech or writing.
  1. ^ The Velologist
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