English
linguistics
Linguistics comes from Latin lingua ‘language’, from dingua ‘pre-classical form of lingua’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s ‘tongue’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s‘tongue’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dn̥ɣwā‘tongue’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdingua‘pre-classical form of lingua’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElingua‘language’
- Germanc. 1650–presentLinguist
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentLinguistik
- Englishearliest quotation 1997linguistics
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s‘tongue’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dn̥ɣwā‘tongue’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdingua‘pre-classical form of lingua’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElingua‘language’
- Germanc. 1650–presentLinguist
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentLinguistik
- Englishearliest quotation 1997linguistics
Earliest quotation: 1997, Jacob W. Gruber, American Philosophical Society: “By the end of the century, the APS’s membership…”
Formed from linguist + -ics
Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s ‘tongue’
Proto-Italic *dn̥ɣwā ‘tongue’
Latin dingua ‘pre-classical form of lingua’
Latin lingua ‘language’
English linguist
The story
From linguist + -ics, akin to linguistic and Latin linguisticus, coined by English philosopher and historian of science William Whewell in 1847 from German Linguistik.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s ‘tongue’
through Latin dingua ‘pre-classical form of lingua’
through Latin lingua ‘language’
Today it means
noun The systematic and scholarly study of language.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s / linguistics