Philologist

Philology is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics. Classical philology is the study of the languages, literature, history, and thought of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Historical linguistics is the study of how languages have changed over time.

Philology is more commonly defined as the study of literary texts and written records, the establishment of their authenticity and their original form, and the determination of their meaning. A person who pursues this kind of study is known as a philologist.

In older usage, especially British, philology is more general, covering comparative and historical linguistics.

Etymology

The term philology is derived from the Greek terms φίλος (love) and λόγος (word, reason), meaning "love of words".

Branches of Philology

Philology has a number of branches, including:

• Comparative philology
• Decipherment
• Graphemics
• Paleography
• Epigraphy
• Papyrology

History

The study of ancient texts and document has been a part of human history for centuries. The field of philology emerged as a distinct academic discipline during the 19th century, primarily in Germany.

See Also

• Linguistics
• Etymology
• Historiography
• Hermeneutics

References

Philologist Resources
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