Phraseology
/ˌfreɪziˈɒlədʒi/noun
The choice and arrangement of words in speaking or writing; characteristic wording.
Did you know?Phraseology ultimately traces back to Greek *phrázein*, meaning “to show, point out, tell,” a root that also fed words for speaking and expression across the classical world.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phrázein
“to point out, show, tell, explain”
Late Greek
Greek
phrasis
“speech, expression, manner of speaking”
Late Latin
Latin
phrasiologia
“discussion of expression; study of phrasing”
16th–17th Century
English
phraseology
“the manner or style of expression in words”
Modern English
English
phraseology
“the choice and arrangement of words in speech or writing”
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