Philology is derived from the Greek terms φίλος (love) and λόγος (word, reason) and literally means a love of words. It is the study of language in literary sources and is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics. Philology is generally associated with Greek and Classical Latin, in which it is termed philologia. The study of philology originated in European Renaissance Humanism in regards to Classical Philology but this has since been combined to include in its definition the study of both European and non-European languages. The idea of philology has been carried through the Greek and Latin literature into the English language around the sixteenth century through the French term philologie meaning a 'love of literature'
This is a companion discussion topic for the original definition at https://www.worldhistory.org/Philology/.
Join the Conversation
- Does this match what you've learned about the topic before?
- Anything here you'd push back on?
- What surprised you most in this definition?
Is there anything you'd like to ask about this definition? Ask away — and if you spot something that should be covered, that's useful to know too.