Etymology: < -ology (in theology n., etc.); compare -o- connective and -logy comb. form.Early examples, with first elements of Greek origin (but interpretable as their naturalized equivalents), are demonology n. (late 16th cent.) and dosiology n. (late 17th cent.). Several examples with first elements of classical origin are found in the 18th cent., e.g. brontology n. (recorded in Johnson's Dictionary) and electricology n. From the late 18th cent. onwards the element is freely used with first elements of classical origin to form the names of branches of study, many of which have become established, e.g. climatology n., criminology n., epidemiology n., and gemmology n., but others of which have not, e.g. alethiology n., osphresiology n. Such formations are less frequent in the 20th cent.; examples include codicology n. and gerontology n. The earliest formations on purely native elements are mainly humorous and ad hoc formations, e.g. traitorology n. (an isolated mid-17th cent. formation), trickology n. (early 18th cent.), bugology n., caneology n., dogology n., noseology n. (early 19th cent.). More serious examples occur from the mid 19th cent., e.g. liturgiology n., Egyptology n., oceanology n., and are common in the 20th cent., e.g. enzymology n., immunology n., neonatology n. The influence of post-classical Latin, German, and especially French has been important: words formed on or after originals in these languages include insectology n., monadology n. (18th cent.), methodology n. (early 19th cent.), speleology n. (late 19th cent.), musicology n., narratology n., and reflexology n. (20th cent.).
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online June 2020).
comb. form