etymologist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

John Kelly, an etymologist and senior research editor at Dictionary.com, wrote in a 2017 post on his etymology website, Mashed Radish.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 18, 2019

I asked the Journal’s resident etymologist, columnist Ben Zimmer, about the earliest use of the term “echo chamber” in its modern sense.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2016

I’m no etymologist; I don’t know when that exclamation point became a question mark and was wrapped in sarcasm.

From New York Times • Oct. 1, 2012

It’s often impossible to definitively determine a phrase’s linguistic birthplace, but based on the digging of etymologist Barry Popik, the phrase seems to have originated in the graffiti community of Oakland, California.

From Slate

As a general rule, a sound etymologist will not hastily desert an obvious and trite explanation to go in search of a more recondite import.

From Notes and Queries, Number 181, April 16, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Bell, George