2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Etymology  \Et`y*mol"o*gy\  (-j[y^]),  n.;  pl  {Etymologies} 
  (-j[i^]z).  [L.  etymologia  Gr  'etymologi`a;  'e`tymon  etymon 
  +  lo`gos  discourse,  description:  cf  F.  ['e]tymologie.  See 
  {Etymon},  and  {-logy}.] 
  1.  That  branch  of  philological  science  which  treats  of  the 
  history  of  words  tracing  out  their  origin,  primitive 
  significance,  and  changes  of  form  and  meaning. 
 
  2.  That  part  of  grammar  which  relates  to  the  changes  in  the 
  form  of  the  words  in  a  language;  inflection. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  etymology 
  n  1:  a  history  of  a  word 
  2:  the  study  of  the  sources  and  development  of  words 

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