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anthropologia

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word anthropologia

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
From
Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos)
Latin anthropologia
From the same root
Ancient Greek ἀνθρωπολόγος (anthrōpológos) ← ἄνθρωπος
Ancient Greek φιλάνθρωπος (philánthrōpos) ← ἄνθρωπος
English philanthropy ← ἄνθρωπος

Forms

anthrōpologia f (genitive anthrōpologiae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “human being”) with the suffix -logia, a New Latin coinage.[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Neo-Latin authors collected by Ramminger it means an account of people or of human achievements: Raffaele Maffei's Commentarii urbani have a volume called Anthropologia, on famous men of all times and peoples, which Beatus Rhenanus also cites in a letter.[3]

Semantic evolution

Later New Latin used it for anthropology, the study of human beings.[1] English took the word over in the 1590s for the study of the natural history of man, first especially of the relation between body and mind.[2]

Timeline

  • 1590s – English anthropology is formed from the New Latin word or coined independently from the same elements.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A discussion or account of people and their achievements, especially as a collection of biographies.[3]
  2. (New Latin) anthropology, the study of human beings.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Anthropologia.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/anthropologia. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·