Myrmecology
/ˌmɜːr.məˈkɑː.lə.dʒi/noun
The branch of zoology that studies ants.
Did you know?Myrmecology comes from Greek myrmex, a word tied to ants so deeply that ancient myth even linked ants to miraculous transformation and origin stories.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μύρμηξ (mýrmēx)
“ant”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logía)
“study, account, discourse”
Late 18th Century
French/English
myrmécologie / myrmecology
“the study of ants”
Modern English
English
myrmecology
“the scientific study of ants”
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