noun
- a person who studies the origin and history of words and how their meanings have changed over time
Examples
- The etymologist traced the word 'sandwich' back to the Earl of Sandwich.
- An etymologist can explain why 'breakfast' combines 'break' and 'fast'.
- She became an etymologist after developing a passion for understanding language origins.
- The etymologist discovered that the word 'robot' comes from a Czech play.
- Many etymologists work in universities studying historical linguistics.
- An etymologist might spend years researching the roots of a single word family.