DictionaryRoot: -logia
Greek
-logia
speaking about; an account or study of
Forms
- -logia
- -logy — The ending shortened in English.
- -ology — The linking o of many Greek compounds became associated with the ending.
Origin
Built in Greek from the family of logos, “word, account, reasoning.”
Note
The familiar “study of” meaning grew from the broader idea of speaking or giving an account of something.
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noun
sociology
soh-see-AH-luh-jee/ˌsəʊsiˈɑːlədʒi/
The scientific study of human society.
Etymology
Socius places companionship at the heart of the word: sociology studies people living in association. The ending turns that subject into a field of systematic study.