Chirology
/kaɪˈrɒlədʒi/noun
The study or interpretation of the hands, especially palm reading.
Did you know?Chirology comes from Greek roots meaning “hand” and “study,” and it became part of the wider occult tradition of reading fate through the body.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χείρ (kheír)
“hand”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logía)
“study, discourse”
Late Greek / Medieval Latin
Greek/Latin
cheirologia
“study or interpretation of the hands”
17th–19th Century
English
chirology
“the study or reading of hands, especially in palmistry contexts”
Modern English
English
chirology
“the interpretation or study of the hands”
Explore more surprising origins