The word "theology" is a direct borrowing from the Latin theologia, which itself was adopted from the Greek theologia, a compound of theos (god) and -logia (word, discourse, study). The Greek term originally referred to accounts or stories about the gods, but through Christian Latin usage, its meaning evolved to signify the systematic and rational study of the divine. This semantic shift reflects the transformation from mythological narrative to an organized academic discipline. Thus, the literal "discourse about God" became the formal "study of God."

Structure: theo (god) + logy (study of) - theo: From Greek theos, meaning "god, deity". Functions as the core semantic root. - logy: From Greek -logia, meaning "discourse, study, science". Functions as a noun-forming suffix denoting a branch of knowledge.