Etimologisch

Etimologisch is an adjective used in several Germanic languages, notably Dutch and German, to denote a relation to etymology—the study of the origin and historical development of words and their meanings. It is applied to describe analyses, notes, or sections that trace how a word arrived at its present form and sense, including changes in pronunciation, form, and usage over time. In dictionaries and linguistic writings, etimologisch information helps distinguish origins from contemporary semantics, syntax, or stylistic considerations.

The term itself is formed from the root etymologie (etymology) with a suffix that creates an adjective meaning pertaining to. The word etymology derives from the Greek etumon meaning “true sense” and logos meaning “study” or “discourse,” via Latin etymologia. Thus etimologisch explicitly signals that the discussion concerns the historical and philological investigation of a word’s origin rather than its current meaning alone.

In usage, etimologisch notes or explanations are common in scholarly works, dictionaries, and linguistic texts when the focus is on origins, cognates, or historical sound changes. The concept underpins the broader field of historical linguistics, which seeks to reconstruct past forms and meanings to understand how languages evolve over time.

See also: etymology, historical linguistics, cognates, phonological change.