Where does “symbology” come from?
Symbology is an English formation from symbol and -logy, ultimately deriving from Ancient Greek σύμβολον meaning "token" or "sign," itself from σύμ- "together" and βάλλω "to throw."
symbology (English): The study or use of symbols; An encoding scheme,...
Definitions
- The study or use of symbols; An encoding scheme,...
Ancestry of “symbology”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ology | Alternative form of -logy; 1843, Thomas Chandler... |
| 2 | English | ‐o‐ | — |
| 3 | English | -prim | Used to form names of trimethoprim derivatives acting as |
| 4 | English | trimethoprim | A synthetic antibiotic used to treat malaria and... |
| 5 | English | trimethoxy | Three methoxy groups in a molecule |
| 6 | English | methoxy | The univalent radical CH-O- derived from methanol |
| 7 | English | oxy- | Sharp, keen, acute, pungent, acid; Concerning... |
| 8 | English | oxygen | The chemical element with an atomic number of 8... |
| 9 | French | oxygène | oxygen; inflection of oxygéner: ##... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | γένος | offspring, descendant; family, clan; nation, race |
| 11 | Proto-Hellenic | génos | family; race |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵénh₁os | race, lineage |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |