Petrology
/pəˈtrɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The branch of geology concerned with the origin, composition, structure, and classification of rocks.
Did you know?Petrology was coined in modern scientific Latin from Greek roots, and its core root, petra, also gives us names tied to stone like Peter — the “rock.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
πέτρα (pétra)
“rock, stone”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logía)
“study, discourse”
Late Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
petrologia
“study of rocks”
19th Century
English
petrology
“the scientific study of rocks”
Modern English
English
petrology
“the branch of geology dealing with rocks and their origins”