Etymology

From Greek etymologia, from etymon ("the true sense, the original meaning of a word") + -logia ("the study of"). Etymon itself comes from etymos, "true, real." Ancient scholars believed a word’s oldest form held its truest meaning — hence "the study of the true." Modern etymology drops that assumption but keeps the name, tracing what words actually meant rather than what they truly should.

noun · /et-uh-MOL-uh-jee/
The study of a word’s origin and the history of how its form and meaning changed over time.
What it names
The excavation under everyday words — the backstory that shows how "nice" once meant "ignorant" and why that journey is worth knowing.
Example
The etymology of "salary" leads back to Roman soldiers being paid in salt.
Related idea
Etymology traces where a word came from; lexicography is the craft of recording what it means now. A good dictionary entry usually offers both.