Hylology
/ˌhaɪˈlɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The study of matter or material substance.
Did you know?Hylology comes from Greek hylē, meaning “wood” and later “matter,” a semantic shift that helped philosophers treat substance as something hidden beneath appearances.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hýlē (ὕλη)
“wood; timber; later, matter or substance”
Classical Greek Philosophy
Greek
hylē + lógos (ὕλη + λόγος)
“matter + discourse, account, or study”
Late Latin / Scholarly Latin
Latin
hylologia
“treatise or discourse on matter”
17th–19th Century
English
hylology
“the philosophical study of matter or substance”
Modern English
English
hylology
“the study of matter or material substance”
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