What exactly is etymology?
Did you know where the word “bless” came from? Surprisingly, the word “bless” came from the old English word “blōd,” which means blood. It had a derivative meaning of “to mark with blood” in the past. How do people know about the origins of words and their usage at the time period? This is because of etymology. According to Oxford Dictionary, etymology is the study of the origin and history of words and their meanings. By applying etymological knowledge in appropriate contexts, a better understanding of the topic could be achieved. For example, in the late 18th century, the proposition of the Indo-European language changed the conceptions and paradigms of numerous academic fields due to the fact that Indo-European languages are a language family that is the ancestral language of 313 different languages native to the Indian subcontinent, Iranian plateau, and European continent. As such, a great discovery in etymology often affects various parts of the academic world and sometimes causes myriads of changes in paradigm.
History of Etymology
The study of etymology dates back to ancient India. Sanskrit linguistic works are known to make an etymological and comprehensive analysis of linguistics around the 5th to 2nd Century BCE, which makes them the earliest known etymologists. Also, Ancient Greco-Roman had significant attempts made by Socrates. In the Socratic dialogue, Cratylus, Socrates guessed the origins of numerous words, including the names of Greek gods. According to Cambridge Press, after Socrates, there was some progress made by Isidore of Seville, a Spanish scholar and cleric, in his book, Etymologiae, which means “origins”(Barney, Stephen A. et al., 2006). Modern etymology is based on works of historical linguistics, which was developed by Sir William Jones, a British philologist. He was also a puisne judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal, India, and was interested in Sanskrit, a language in Ancient India. Soon after, he found significant similarities between Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. He later published The Sanscrit Language in 1786, and his works on comparative linguistics became the bases of modern historical linguistics and etymology.
Significance of Etymology
The application of etymology can be varied in fields of academics or literature. By using etymological evidence, historians can suggest new theories about ancient events or lifestyles or rebut one. For example, until recently, the usage of the word “Elohim”, which means gods in Hebrew, was believed to represent plural deities. However, as more usages of plural nouns refer to singular entities, linguists figured out that the word “Elohim” does not refer to plural deity but rather singular deity in all respects. Also, language learners can have a better understanding of vocabulary and idioms when they know the origins of vocabulary. Last but not least, authors, such as screenwriters, can have some foreshadowing by the usage of word origins. In the TV show American God, one of the deities in the film introduces himself as “Mr. Wednesday”. It became a foreshadowing to a later scene in the film where “Mr. Wednesday” turned out to be Odin, a widely revered god in Germanic mythology, considering the word “Wednesday” came from old English “Wōdnesdæg”, which means Odin’s day. As such, etymology could be applied in various fields.
How to be an etymologist
In order to become an etymologist, in most cases, an individual must obtain several advanced knowledge and degrees in linguistics, phonetics, history, and other related fields such as religions or folklore. After completing requirements in education, he must complete research and publish his findings in etymology. It is difficult to research ancient languages and the origins of vocabularies and idioms because ancient languages often lack reliable sources. It becomes even harder when the ancient languages are from nomadic tribes, such as Mongolians, which often were not written languages or logographs, such as Chinese or Japanese, because it is hard to predict the pronunciations of each character in the time period. Also, etymologists often have a high competition rate because employers of etymologists are often limited to some universities and laboratories. However, if one is interested in studying the origins of languages and the secrets behind them, being an etymologist is the perfect occupation for him.
Conclusions
Etymology is an interesting field of academics, and it often reveals important aspects of ancient languages and events behind them as a language is affected by various factors such as religion, lifestyle, customs, or even the smallest changes in cultures. Also, it could be applied in numerous academic fields or even in some forms of literature. However, it is not an easy route to be an etymologist, and it is an arduous journey to find reliable sources of ancient languages. Although it might not be an economically successful occupation, with passion and knowledge, one can always contribute to a great project that reveals the secrets of words we use nowadays.
Reference
Merriam-webster.com. (2018). Definition of ETYMOLOGY. [online] Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etymology.
Isidore, Of Seville Saint, Barney, S.A. and Al, E. (2006). The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bryce, T. (2005). The kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Cop.
