Hermeneutics
/ˌhɜːr.məˈnjuː.tɪks/noun
The theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of texts.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces to Hermes, the Greek messenger god, because interpretation was imagined as the act of carrying meaning across a boundary, almost like translating a divine signal.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἑρμηνεύειν (hermēneuein)
“to interpret, explain, translate”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἑρμηνεία (hermēneia)
“interpretation, explanation, translation”
Late Greek / Hellenistic
Greek
ἑρμηνευτικός (hermēneutikos)
“skilled in interpretation”
17th Century
Latin
hermeneutica
“the art or science of interpretation”
18th–19th Century
English
hermeneutics
“the study of interpretation, especially of scripture and texts”