-ology, -logy, -ologist, -logist

(Greek: a suffix meaning: to talk, to speak; a branch of knowledge; any science or academic field that ends in -ology which is a variant of -logy; a person who speaks in a certain manner; someone who deals with certain topics or subjects)

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.

ecologist
One who specializes in biological sciences that deal with the relationship between organisms and their environment.
ecology
Employment in the science of the interrelationships between organisms and their enviroments.
ecology, oecology
1. The branch of the biological sciences that deals with the relationship between organisms and their environment, including their relationship with other organisms.
2. The science concerned with interactions between organisms and the environment on spatial scales ranging from parts of individuals to the biosphere as a whole.

Literally, ecology means the "study of houses". The word was coined as ökologie by Ernst Haeckel, a German zoologist, in the 1870’s, based on the Greek word oikos. Although this means “house”, Haeckel was using it in the wider sense as “dwelling, habitat”. It was adopted into English soon after its coinage, originally as oecology which is similar to a Latin form.

—Ayto, page 193.

Ecology has been divided into four major sub fields:
  • Physiological ecology, concerned with interactions between individual organisms and the environment.
  • Population biology, the regulation of population growth and population size, and interactions among populations.
  • Community ecology, characteristics of the collective properties of the organisms in an area.
  • Ecosystem ecology, regulation of the flows of energy and material in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
—Academic Press Dictionary of Science.
ecomorphology
The study of the relationship between the ecological relations of an individual and its morphology.
ecophysiology
The study of the interrelationship between an organism’s physical functioning and its environment.
ecotoxicologist
A specialist in the harmful effects of chemicals to the natural environment.
ecotoxicology
The scientific study of harmful effects caused by manmade chemicals to the natural environment, especially effects on populations, communities, and ecosystems; an essential part of ecotoxicology is the study of the movement of potentially toxic substances through food webs and through the water cycle, etc.
ectobiology
edaphology
1. The science that deals with the influence of soils on living things, particularly plants, including man's use of land for plant growth.
2. The ecological relationship of soil with plants and land cultivation practices.
3. The study of soils.
Egyptology
electrobiology
1. The study of electrical activity in organisms (plants and animals) and of the effect of electricity on them.
2. The scientific study of electric phenomena present in the living body and in other organisms; either those produced by the organism itself or by outside sources.
electroencephalographic technologist
A person trained in the management of an electroencephalographic laboratory.

The technologist may supervise electroencephalographic technicians, who are generally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the equipment.

electrolaryngology
The study of laryngeal (voice box) functions or movements using a variety of electronic assemblies.
electrologist
Someone who removes excess hair, moles, or other blemishes on the body by means of electrolysis.
electrology
The science of electricity.
Cross references of word families related directly, or indirectly, to: "talk, speak, speech; words, language; tongue, etc.": cit-; clam-; dic-; fa-; -farious; glosso-; glotto-; lalo-; linguo-; locu-; logo-; loqu-; mythico-; ora-; -phasia; -phemia; phon-; phras-; Quotes: Language,Part 1; Quotes: Language, Part 2; Quotes: Language, Part 3; serm-; tongue; voc-.