ethnology
UK[eθˈnɒlədʒi]US[eθˈnɑːlədʒi]
n
The scientific study and comparison of human races and peoples, their characteristics, relations, and cultures.
Morpheme Breakdown
ethno
logy
ethno
people, nation
logy
study of
Etymology
The term 'ethnology' is a compound formed from two Greek elements. The root ethnos in ancient Greek broadly referred to a company, band, or tribe of people living together, carrying a sense of shared identity distinct from others. The suffix -logia signifies a systematic discourse or study, rooted in the concept of logos (word, reason). Combined, the word literally translates to "the study of peoples." Emerging in academic use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, ethnology was distinguished from ethnography as the comparative and analytical science of human cultures and races, building on the foundational idea of logically examining the characteristics and relationships of different human groups.
Analysis
Structure: ethno (people, nation) + logy (study of)
- ethno: From Greek ethnos, meaning 'nation, people, tribe'. Functions as the core root specifying the subject of study.
- logy: From Greek -logia, derived from logos meaning 'word, discourse, study'. Functions as a suffix denoting a branch of knowledge or science.
Examples
His doctoral research in ethnology focused on the kinship systems of indigenous Amazonian tribes.
The museum's department of ethnology houses artifacts from cultures across the globe.
Early ethnology often attempted to classify human groups into distinct racial categories, a approach largely abandoned by modern anthropology.