anthology
UK[ænˈθɒlədʒi]US[ænˈθɑːlədʒi]
n
A published collection of poems, stories, or other pieces of writing, often by different authors.
Morpheme Breakdown
anth
o
logy
anth
flower
o
connective
logy
collection/study
Etymology
The word "anthology" has a beautifully literal origin in ancient Greek. It is a compound of anthos (flower) and legein (to gather), creating the Greek concept of anthologia—literally a "flower-gathering" or a collection of choice literary blossoms. This metaphor likened short, exquisite poems to delicate flowers, gathered into a bouquet. As the term passed through Latin and into scholarly English use in the 17th century, its meaning broadened from a collection of epigrams or small poems to encompass any curated collection of choice literary or artistic works, preserving the original sense of selecting the finest pieces.
Analysis
Structure: anth (flower) + o (connective) + logy (collection/study)
- anth: From Greek anthos, meaning "flower." In this word, it functions metaphorically as the "blossom" or "choicest part" of literature.
- o: A connective vowel (interfix) used in Greek-derived compounds to aid pronunciation.
- logy: From Greek -logia, derived from legein meaning "to gather, to collect." In this word, it denotes "a collection" rather than "a study."
Examples
The library has a new anthology of 20th-century American short stories.
She contributed a poem to a feminist poetry anthology.
The professor assigned an anthology of critical essays on Shakespeare.