This was my own curiosity — no one used it wrongly in a book!
The -ology is a combining form that indicates a subject of study, so it’s easy to assume that this word confusion entymology vs etymology are sciences. It’s which sciences that’s the question.
Entomology is all about the bugs, studying insects. An easy way to remember this is to have fun with part of its unique morpheme, ent. I (verbally) dance around with it as enty and turn it into anty, which, ahem, obviously is about ants as bugs, so entomology is all about the study of bugs.
Etymology is the evolution of language, starting from a word’s origin, the language in which the word first appeared, how it changed through the years (centuries!), and its current spelling and meaning. Delving deeper, etymology also explores how and why languages have evolved.
Credit to: Khillar
You may be interested in reading about “Morpheme & Allomorph“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Entomology | Etymology |
|---|---|
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Charity Sibal Examines a Praying Mantis, 6 May 2010, Pearl Harbor, by Mass Comm Spec 2nd Class Mark Logico and courtesy of the US Navy is under the public domain via Picryl. — Corpsmen, scientists, curious kids . . . anyone can play at entomology. |
Etymology of Cider by Impossiblegend is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: entomology (The only plural form is entomologists.) |
Noun
Plural: etymologies |
| The branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects
[Historical] The original definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans |
The study of the origin of words and morphemes and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history
|
| Examples: | |
| “The applied aspects of economic entomology . . . encompasses the harmful and beneficial impact of insects on humans and their activities” (Entomology).
“Entomology also plays an important role in studies of biodiversity and assessment of environmental quality” (Entomology). “Entomology emerged as a distinct field of study in the early 19th century, with the publication of such works as the eight-volume British Entomology (1824–39), by John Curtis, and the founding of entomological societies in Paris and London” (Entomology). |
It’s a shame that etymology is declining as a linguistic discipline.
Have you ever wondered at the etymology of the word devil. “If you sign up, you’ll get a daily notification on your phone to check out a term you may not have heard before and fun facts about the etymology of each” (Lyden). “I moved to Washington in 1988 with the folk etymology of lobbyist firmly in mind” (O’Rourke). |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: entomological, entomologic, nonentomologic Adverb: entomologically Noun: entomologist |
Adjective: etymological, etymologic, pseudoetymological Adverb: etymologically Noun: etymologist |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-18th century from the French entomologie or the modern Latin entomologia, which is from the Greek entomon (denoting an insect) + -logia (-logy). | Late Middle English from the Old French ethimologie, via the Latin from the Greek etumologia, which is from etumologos meaning student of etymology, from etumon, neuter singular of etumos meaning true. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Entomology versus Etymology
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: entomology
“Entomology.” Zoology. Encyclopaedia Britannica. n.d. Web. 3 May 2022. <https://www.britannica.com/science/entomology>.
Khillar, Sagar. “Difference Between Etymology and Entomology.” DifferenceBetween.net. n.d. Web 3 May 2022. <http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-etymology-and-entomology/#ixzz7SGvNO18v>.
Lyden, Carolyn. “New Retail Integrations from Microsoft and Google in Time for the Holidays.” Friday’s Daily Brief. SearchEngineLand. 22 Oct 2021. Web. 3 May 2022. <https://searchengineland.com/new-retail-integrations-from-microsoft-and-google-in-time-for-the-holidays-fridays-daily-brief-375436>.
O’Rourke, P.J. “Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists.” Daily Beast. 25 Oct 2014. Web. 3 May 2022. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/25/up-to-a-point-in-defense-of-lobbyists.html?source=dictionary>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Wrong Superhero is under the CC BY-NC 2.5 license, via explainxkcd.
