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Webster 1913 Edition
Philology
Phi-lol′o-gy
(fĭ-lŏl′ō̍-jy̆)
, Noun.
[L.
philologia
love of learning, interpretation, philology, Gr. φιλολογία
: cf. F. philologie
. See Philologer
.] 1.
Criticism; grammatical learning.
[R.]
Johnson.
2.
The study of language, especially in a philosophical manner and as a science; the investigation of the laws of human speech, the relation of different tongues to one another, and historical development of languages; linguistic science.
☞ Philology comprehends a knowledge of the etymology, or origin and combination of words; grammar, the construction of sentences, or use of words in language; criticism, the interpretation of authors, the affinities of different languages, and whatever relates to the history or present state of languages. It sometimes includes rhetoric, poetry, history, and antiquities.
3.
A treatise on the science of language.
Webster 1828 Edition
Philology
PHILOL'OGY
,Noun.
1.
Primarily, a love of words, or a desire to know the origin and construction of language. In a more general sense,2.
That branch of literature which comprehends a knowledge of the etymology or origin and combination of words; grammar, the construction of sentences or use of words in language; criticism, the interpretation of authors, the affinities of different languages, and whatever relates to the history or present state of languages. It sometimes includes rhetoric, poetry, history and antiquities.Definition 2024
philology
philology
English
Noun
philology (countable and uncountable, plural philologies)
- (linguistics) The humanistic study of historical linguistics.
Derived terms
Terms derived from philology
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Related terms
Translations
historical linguistics
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See also
- higher criticism
- literary criticism
- lower criticism
- textual criticism