WORD FOR THE DAY: ORISMOLOGY

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Your word for today is: orismology, n.

orismology, n.

[‘Technical terms collectively, terminology; (also) the explanation of such terms.’]

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌɒrᵻzˈmɒlədʒi/,  U.S. /ˌɔrəzˈmɑlədʒi/

Etymology: <  ancient Greek ὁρισμός definition ( <  ὁρίζειν to delimit, bound (see horizon n.) + -μος, suffix forming nouns), with omission of initial aspiration (see H n.) + -logy comb. form.

 Now rare.

  Technical terms collectively, terminology; (also) the explanation of such terms.

1815  W. Kirby  & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. I. Pref. p. xii, The Terminology..to avoid the barbarism of a word compounded of Latin and Greek; they would beg to call the Orismology of the science.

1839–47 Todd's Cycl. Anat. & Physiol. III. 548/2 The orismology of any particular branch of zoological science.

1925  B. Dobrée Ess. in Biogr. 267 When they came to read poetry the voice of the reader would change, soften..: and the laboured lines would be drawled with as rapturous an intonation as ever parson used to bog a collect in canorous orismology.

1991 Times Lit. Suppl. 21 June 25 J A Cuddon's monument of literary orismology.

Derivatives

 

†orismologic adj. Obs. rare

1882 Ogilvie's Imperial Dict., Orismologic, pertaining to orismology.

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