Phrenology
/ˌfriːˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
A now-discredited theory that claimed a person's character could be read from the shape of the skull.
Did you know?Phrenology was marketed as scientific truth in the 19th century, but its real power was social: it helped dress prejudice and racial hierarchy in the language of measurement.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phrḗn
“the mind, understanding, or the seat of feeling”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logia
“study of, discourse about”
1800s
English
phrenology
“the supposed study of mental faculties from the skull”
Modern English
English
phrenology
“the discredited practice of inferring character from skull shape”
Explore more surprising origins