-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.
2. Radiology, the science of radiation and, specifically, the use of both ionizing (like X-ray) and nonionizing (like ultrasound) modalities for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Roentgenology is named for Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen who discovered X-rays. Roentgen, a professor of physics in Germany, wanted to prove his hypothesis that cathode rays could penetrate substances besides air.
When he saw that he could film his thumb and forefinger and their bones on a screen, the story goes that he replaced the screen with a photographic plate and X-rayed his wife's hand.
Roentgen's report of his findings, "On a New Kind of Rays", was published by the Physical-Medical Society of Würzburg, Germany, in December 1895.
In the U.S., the first major program of salvage archaeology was undertaken during 1930, ahead of the construction and dam building done by the Tennessee Valley authority."
The rescue, or salvage, archaeologist, is concerned with the retrieval of as much information as possible about the archaeological sites before they are damaged or destroyed.
2. Anyone who has an obsession with excrement or excretory functions.
3. A reference to a person who resorts to obscene language or literature; especially, that dealing pruriently or humorously with excrement and excretory functions.
2. The scientific study and analysis of the feces.
3. Interest in obscene things; especially, obscene literature and conversation.
Scatology derives from a Greek word meaning "dung knowledge" and is used in pathology to mean "diagnosis by a study of feces."
It is commonly applied today; such as, to obscene or bawdy literature, some radio "talk shows" and TV programs, films, and dramatic performances.
