philology

philology n

L. < Gk φιλο-, love + λόγος, word, speech.

1. Words; etymology; vocabulary; the lexicon; the dictionary; the set of all lexical items in a language; the body of knowledge about the origin and history of words.
2. Scripture; holy writ; truth as recorded in sacred writings; the Bible story of Enoch being translated from this life to the next without experiencing death (see Genesis 5:21-24); [fig.] power to comfort with words; a desire to express facts in reassuring language.
3. Love of language; respect for words; attention to written discourse; devotion to the deep study of language; desire to understand the nature of words; intense interest in the historical connection between words; [fig.] divine poetry; devotional verse; marriage of meaning and symbols; [metaphor] Holy Communion; pondering of the meaning of the Sacrament; love of the Word of God, another name for Jesus Christ (see John 1:1, 1:14); desire to understand the mystery of Christ's Atonement.