-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.

topographic histology
The study of cell and tissue specialization according to the anatomic site in which they occur.
topology
1. The art of, or method for, assisting a person's memory by associating the thing or subject to be remembered with some place.
2. In mathematics: A branch of math that deals with shapes; sometimes describes as geometry without the details.

To a topologist, a sphere, a cigar, and a rabbit's head are all the same because they can be deformed into one another. In addition, a coffee mug and a doughnut are also the same because each has one hole, but they are not equivalent to a sphere.

Topology emerged as part of geometry which did away with metric properties of shapes, angles, and distances. For example, topologically, a sphere and a cube are one and the same object since one can be transformed continuously (i.e. with no cutting nor tearing) into another. Therefore, it is so much more remarkable that number invariants are still used to characterize topological objects.

3. Topographic study of a given place, especially the history of a region as indicated by its topography.
4. In medicine: The anatomical structure of a specific area or part of the body.
5. Computer Science: The arrangement in which the nodes of a LAN are connected to each other.
toxicologist
toxicology
The branch of science that skudies the effects of chemicals on living systems; especially, the effects of toxins (poisons) on health and the environment.
toxinology
trachelologist
A specialist in the study of the neck and its injuries and diseases.
trachelology
The study of the neck and its injuries and diseases.
traumatologist (s), traumatologists (pl) (nouns)
A surgeon who practices traumatology, or a medic who is on duty at a trauma center.
traumatology (s) (noun)
1. The study of wounds and their effects.
2. A branch of medicine that deals with the surgical repair of injuries and wounds resulting from accidents.
3. A branch of surgery dealing with major wounds caused by accidents or violence and their long-term consequences.

Patients who have suffered significant physical trauma, as from a car accident, may be cared for in a trauma center, a specialized hospital facility designed to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services for trauma.

tribologist (s) (noun), tribologists (pl)
A specialist in the science of the mechanical functions of friction on reacting surfaces.
tribology (s) (noun), tribologies (pl)
The science of the mechanisms of friction, lubrication, and wear of interacting surfaces that are in relative motion. A relatively new element from Greek that is used in modern engineering and physics.

Pointing to a page about tribology There is more information about tribology at the link.

trichologist
1. A specialist in the study of hair structure and diseases.
2. By extension, a hairdresser or hair stylist.
trichology, trichological
1. The study of the anatomy, growth, and diseases of the hair.
2. The study of hair, or the sum of what is known about hair.
3. The study of hair and its care and treatment.
tricologist
1. Someone who specializes in the study and treatment of hair and related problems.
2. A hairstylist who is trained specifically to treat problems of the hair and scalp.
tricology
1. The study of hair structure.
2. The science dealing with hair.

Loss of hair and thinning hair is usually a temporary condition that can affect both women and men. Balding is most often a hereditary condition that affects a large proportion of men. Alopecia is more serious hair loss, but all of these can be treated with hair replacement therapy and other tricology treatment.

Tricology is its own branch of science derived from beauty care (cosmetology) and dermatology.

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-.