mythology

/məˈθɒləˌdʒi/muh-THO-luh-jee

/məˈθɑləˌdʒi/muh-THAH-luh-jee

Meaningthe study of tales

Common meaning: a body of myths

mythword, tale, storyLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 983 · scan
loga word, saying; reckoning, reasonLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 476 · scan
ynoun ending: study, state or act

‘word, tale, story’ + ‘a word, saying’ → mythology

Journey through time

myth — Greek μῦθος “word, tale, story” (path traced)
log — Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) “a word, saying; reckoning, reason” (path traced)

Parts join in Latin as mythologia.

Greekμῦθος + λόγος (lógos)‘word, tale, story + a word, saying’
Latinmythologia
Englishmythology‘a body of myths’ · today

myth also in: myth mythical

log also in: logic biology ecology geology zoology

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek μῦθος ‘word, tale, story’ + Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) ‘a word, saying; reckoning, reason’.

Did you know (Psychology, sociology, physiology,…): our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry λόγος (lógos), p. 476 · dictionary scan

Did you know (Greek mythos, a…): our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry μῦθος, p. 983 · dictionary scan

Roots

λόγος (lógos) Ancient Greek “a word, saying; reckoning, reason”
μῦθος Greek “word, tale, story”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app