-ology, -logy, -ologist, -logist
The word -ology is a back-formation from the names of certain disciplines. The -logy element basically means "the study of ____". Such words are formed from Greek or Latin roots with the terminal -logy derived from the Greek suffix -λογια (-logia), speaking, from λεγειν (legein), "to speak".
The suffix -ology is considered to be misleading sometimes as when the "o" is actually part of the word stem that receives the -logy ending; such as, bio + logy.
Through the years -ology and -logy have come to mean, "study of" or "science of" and either of these suffixes often utilize the form of -ologist, "one who (whatever the preceding element refers to)".
The examples shown in this unit represent just a small fraction of the many words that exist in various dictionaries.
dark biology
Scientific research related to biological weapons.
The phrase "dark biology" was coined by the science writer and novelist Richard Preston in his self-described "trilogy on dark biology": The Hot Zone (1994), The Cobra Event (1997), and The Demon In the Freezer (2002).
deltiologist
(s) (noun), deltiologists
(pl)
Someone who collects post cards. There is no connection to the "deltic muscle".
deltiologist, deltiologists
A collector, or collectors, of post cards.
deltiology
The hobby of collecting post cards.
demonologist
Someone who writes about, or is versed in, demonology.
demonology
1. The study of demons; especially, those that are frequent in the folklore of some societies.
2. The written presentations of demons or of beliefs about demons.
dendranthropology
(s) (noun), dendranthropologies
(pl)
The theory that trees were involved in the origin of mankind or the arboreal origins of humans.
dendroarcheology, dendroarchaeology
(s) (noun) (no pl)
The dating of events or time intervals in past periods based on the variation in patterns of growth rings of trees and old wood: The science of dendroarcheology involves the calculation of the ages of wooden things in archaeological sites.
dendrochronologist
(s) (noun), dendrochronologists
(pl)
A specialist in dating by examining tree rings: Mrs. Snow, Jim's mother, was a dendrochronologist who spent most of her time examining the spacings between the annual growth rings of certain trees to date the precise years of development.
dendrochronology
(s) (noun) (no pl)
The science of tree-ring analysis and its implications: The research of
dendrochronology employs a method of dating using annual tree-rings, also termed tree-ring chronology.
In archaeology, dendrochronology utilizes a system of dating wooden objects by analyzing the pattern of their annual rings and comparing this pattern to an established tree-ring sequence for the region.
dendroclimatology
1. The determination of past climatic conditions from the study of the annual growth rings of trees.
2. The study of past climates by the examination of the annual growth rings in (ancient) timber.
dendrohydrology
In hydrology, the study of tree-ring configuration to determine hydrologic occurrences; variations in the width reveal variations in precipitation or water flow.
dendrologic
1. The branch of forestry that focuses on the identification and classification of trees and shrubs.
2. The botanical study of trees and other woody plants.
dendrologist
A specialist in the identification and classification of trees and shrubs.
deontologist
Someone who practices deontology; that is, duty or moral obligation.
