Philology
Greek phílos, love + lógos, word
Philology refers to the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics. Philology is more commonly defined as the study of literary texts as well as oral and written records, the establishment of their authenticity and their original form, and the determination of their meaning.
First principles
Philology is the practice of recovering human meaning through the historical life of language.
It examines the language people have left behind to establish what was actually said, understand what it meant in its original context, and discover what it reveals about the people and world that produced it.
At its core, it asks:
- What was actually said?Establish the wording as faithfully as possible.
- What did it mean then?Understand the words within their original time, culture, and usage.
- What does that reveal?Discover something about the people and world that produced them.
Etymology
- φίλοςphílos
- love, affection
- λόγοςlógos
- word, speech, reason
The word philology comes from the Greek words φίλος (phílos) meaning "love" or "affection" and λόγος (lógos) meaning "word," "speech," or "reason." Combined, they form "love of words" or "love of learning/literature." The term emerged in the early 16th century to describe a love of learning and literature, later evolving to its current specialized meaning.