Ologies and Ologists
(or, “There’s an ology for that …)
In the aquatic sciences you’ll frequently encounter words ending in -ology (plural -ologies) and -ologist, these are words that describe a particular academic discipline or field of knowledge (an ology) or a student or expert in that particular discipline (an ologist).
As with the scientific names used to describe aquatic species the names of these various different disciplines are compound words similar in construction to scientific names formed from words of Latin and/or Greek origin.
Etymology:
The first part of the word is descriptive of the field of knowledge being referred to (see table below).
-ology, Greek, -o-, connective vowel; -logy, logia (λογία), the study of a certain subject. The earliest examples of this usage come through French -logie via medieval Latin -logia, the study of.
-ologist, one who studies the field of knowledge described by the prefix.
| -ology | Etymology | The study of … |
|---|---|---|
| Algology | Alg-, Latin, alga, seaweed | seaweeds and other algae (1828) |
| Amphibiology | Amphibi-, Greek, amphibia (αμφιβια), living in both, an animal that lives in both elements (αμφι, both + βιος, life) | amphibians (1840) |
| Arachnology | Arachn-, Greek, arachne (αραχνη), spider | arachnids, spiders and their relatives (1861) |
| Astacology | Astac-, Greek, astacos (αστακος), lobster, crayfish | crayfish |
| Autecology | Autec-, Greek, Aut-, auto (αυτο), self; -ec-, eco, oikos (οικος), house(hold), dwelling | the ecology of an individual species (1910) |
| Bacteriology | Bacter-, Greek, bacterion (βακτηριον), diminutive of βακτρον; stick, staff | bacteria (1884) |
| Biocenology (Biocoenology) | Biocen-, Greek, Bio-, bios (βιος), life; -cen-, koinosis (κοινωσις) sharing (from koinos (κοινος), common) | ecological communities and of interactions among their members (1919) |
| Bioclimatology | Bioclimat-, Greek, Bio-, bios (βιος), life; -clima-, klιma (κλιμα), inclination (from klιno (κλινω), to slope, incline) | the relationship between climate and living organisms (1910) |
| Bioecology | Bioec-, Greek, Bio-, bios (βιος), life; -ec-, eco, oikos (οικος), house(hold), dwelling | ecology of organisms and their interactions with each other (1923) |
| Biology | Bi-, Greek, bios (βιος), life | life (1686) |
| Bryozoology | Bryozo-, bryzoan, Greek, bryon (βρυον), moss; zoon (ζωον), animal; moss animal | bryzoans (1965) (bryozoologist - 1921) |
| Carcinology | Carcin-, Greek, karkinos (καρκινος), crab | crustaceans (1853) |
| Cetology | Cet-, Greek, ketos (κητος), whale | cetaceans - whales, dolphins, and porpoise (1851 - in Moby-Dick) |
| Chorology | Chor-, Greek, khoros (χωρος), country, region, place, space | the relationship of biological or other phenomena to their locations (1879) |
| Chronobiology | Chronobi-, Greek, Chrono-, chronos (χρονος), time; -bi-, bios (βιος), life | biological rhythms, temporal or periodic phenomena in biology (1969) |
| Climatology | Climat-, Greek, Clima-, klιma (κλιμα), inclination (from klιno (κλινω), to slope, incline) | climate (1813) |
| Coleopterology | Coleopter-, Greek koleopteros (κολεοπτεροσ), sheath-winged (Aristotle) | beetles |
| Conchology | Conch-, Greek, konkhos (κογχος), shell, cockle, mussel | shells and of molluscs (1776) |
| Crustaceology | Crustace-, post-classical Latin crustacea, originally an order name | crustaceans (1817) |
| Cryptozoology | Cryptozo-, Greek, Crypto-, kruptos (κρυπτος), hidden, secret; -zo-, zoion (ζωον), animal | unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose existence or survival to the present day is disputed or unsubstantiated (1968) |
| Desmidiology | Desmidi-, Greek, desmidion (δεσμιδιον), diminutive of demos (δεσμος), band, chain | desmids, a division of green algae |
| Echinology | Echin-, Greek, echinos (εχινος), hedgehog, sea-urchin | echinoderms (1870) |
| Ecohydrology | Ecohydr-, Greek, Eco-, oikos (οικος), house(hold), dwelling; -hydr-, hydοr (υδωρ), water | interactions among organisms and the water cycle |
| Ecology | Ec-, German, Oecologie (E. Haeckel 1866); Greek, oikos (οικος), house, dwelling | interrelationships between living organisms and their environment (1875) |
| Embryology | Embry-, Greek, embryon (εμβρυον), the unborn, embryo | embryos (1781) |
| Entomology | Entom-, Greek, entomon (εντομον), insect | insects (1766) |
| Entozoology | Entozo-, Greek, Ento-, entos (εντος), within, inside; -zo-, zoion (ζωον), animal | animals that live inside other animals |
| Ethology | Etho-, Greek, ethos (ηθος), nature or disposition of animals, character, (in plural) customs, haunts | animal behaviour (1874) |
| Etymology | Etym-, Greek, etumon (ετυμον), true sense | word origins (1666) |
| Faunology | Faun-, Latin Fauna, Roman goddess of earth and fertility, animal(s); derived from Greek thaunon (θαυνον), wild animal, beast | the geographical distribution of animals |
| Fluviology | Fluvi-, Latin, fluvius, river | watercourses, rivers (1904) |
| Helminthology | Helminth-, Greek,(ελμινς, ελμινθ-), little worm, parasitic worm | parasitic worms (1813) see also Scolecology and Vermeology" |
| Herpetology | Herpet-, Greek, herpeton (ερπετον), creeping thing, reptile | reptiles and amphibians (1824) |
| Hydrobiology | Hydrobi-, Greek, hydro-, hydοr (υδωρ), water; -bi-, bios (βιος), life | the biology of aquatic plants and animals (1928) |
| Hydrogeology | Hydroge-, Greek, hydro-, hydοr (υδωρ), water; -ge- (γη), earth | underground water, water on or below the surface of the earth (1824) |
| Hydrology | Hydr-, Greek, hydro-, hydοr (υδωρ), water | water, its properties, laws, and its distribution (1762) |
| Ichthyology | Ichthy-, Greek, ichthys (ιχθυς), fish | fish (1646) |
| Limnobiology | Limnobi-, Greek, limn-, limne (λίμνη), lake, marsh; -o-, connective vowel; -bi-, bios (βιος), life | biology of lakes and ponds, freshwater ecosystems (1899) |
| Limnology | Limn-, Greek, limn-, limne (λιμνη), lake, marsh | inland waters, particularly lakes (1893) |
| Malacology | Malac-, Greek, malakia (μαλακια), mollusc, cephalopod; malakos (μαλακος), soft; referring to the soft body of a mollusc | molluscs (1832) |
| Malacostracology (see also Crustaceology) | Malacostrac-, Greek, malak-, malakos (μαλακος), soft; -ostrac-, ostracon (οστρακον), shell. A misleading name since the shell is usually hard, only soft immediately after moulting | malacostracans, today crustaceans in general (1847) |
| Mammalogy | Mamma-, Latin, breast; after French mammalogie (1803); referring to the female mammal’s trait of nursing their young | mammals (1833) |
| Microbiology | Microbi-, Greek, micro-, mikros (μικρος), small; -bi-, bios (βιος), life | microorganisms (1880) |
| Nematology | Nemat-, Greek, νηματ-, νημα, thread | nematodes (1914) |
| Oceanology | Ocean-, Latin, Oceanus the great sea, the ocean; French occean | oceans (c.1300) |
| Odonatology | Odonat-, Greek, Odonata, from odontos (οδοντoς, οδους), tooth, with reference to the serrated mandibles | dragonflies and damselflies (1917) |
| Oligochaetology | Oligochaet-, Greek, Oligo-, oligos (ολιγος), small, little, few; -chaet-, khaite (χαιτη), hair, mane, bristle; referring to the relatively few bristles | oligochaete worms |
| Ophiology or Ophidology | Ophi(d)-, Greek, ophis (οφις), serpent, snake; Latin ophiologia (1630), French ophiologie (1809) | snakes (1815) |
| Ornithology | Ornith-, Greek, ornithos (ορνιθο), ornis (ορνις), bird | birds (1770) |
| Palaeoichthyology (Palaeichthyology) | Palaeichthy-, Greek, palaeo-, palaeos (παλαιος), old, ancient; ichthy-, ichthys (ιχθυς), fish | extinct fishes (1798) |
| Paleobiology | Paleobi-, Greek, palaeo-, palaeos (παλαιος), old, ancient; -bi-, bios (βιος), life | prehistoric life, the biology of extinct and fossil plants and animals (1893) |
| Palaeolimnology | Palaeolimn-, Greek, palaeo-, palaeos (παλαιος), old, ancient; -limn-, limne (λιμνη), lake, marsh | ancient lake sediments (1942) |
| Paleontology | Paleont-, Greek, palaeo-, palaeos (παλαιος), old, ancient; -nt-, ont, on (ων), of or relating to being or existence | extinct and fossil humans, animals, and plants (1833) |
| Paleophytology | Paleophyt-, Greek, palaeo-, palaeos (παλαιος), old, ancient; phyt-, phuton (φυτον), plant | extinct and fossil plants (1857); paleobotany |
| Paleozoology | Paleozo-, Greek, palaeo-, palaeos (παλαιος), old, ancient; -zo-, zoion (ζωον), animal | extinct and fossil animals (1843) |
| Parasitology | Parasit-, Greek, parasitos (παρασιτος), a person who lives at another's expense | parasites (1870) |
| Phycology | Phyc-, Greek, phykos (φυκος), seaweed | seaweeds and other algae (1847); (see Algology) |
| Physiology | Physi-, Greek, physiologos (φυσιολόγος) natural philosopher (Aristotle) | mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms (1564) |
| Phytology | Phyt-, Greek, phuton (φυτον), plant | study of plants; botany (1658) |
| Planktology | Plankt-, Greek, plankton (πλαγκτος), wandering, roaming, drifting | plankton (1892) |
| Polychaetology | Polychaet-, Greek, πολυχατης, with much hair; referring to the segmented bodies with numerous bristles | polychaete worms |
| Potamology | Potam-, Greek, potamos (ποταμος), river | rivers (1829) |
| Scolecology | Scolec-, Greek, scolex (σκωληκ, σκωληξ), worm | worms (1858) see also Helminthology and Vermeology |
| Spongology | Spong-, Greek, σπογγος, sponge | sponges (1889) spongologist (1883) |
| Synecology | Synec-, Greek, Syn-, sun (συν), with, in company with, together with; -ec-, oikos (οικος), house, dwelling | the ecological interrelationships among communities of organisms (1910); see also Bioecology |
| Telmatology | Telmat-, Greek, Telmat (τελματ), bog, marsh | swamps and wetlands (1903) |
| Testaceology | Testace-, Latin, testaceus, covered with a shell, shell fish | shells and of molluscs (1804); see Conchology |
| Teuthology | Teuth-, Greek, teuthis (τευθις), squid, cuttlefish | cephalopods (1891) teuthologist (1886) |
| Tidology | Tid-, English, tide | tides (1834) |
| Toxicology | Toxic-, Latin, toxicum, poison, originally derived from Greek, τοξικον φαρμακον, poison for smearing arrows; Greek, toxikon (τοξικον), of or pertaining to the bow; pharmakon (φαρμακον), poisonous | poisons (1799) |
| Vermeology | Verme-, Latin, vermis, worm; vermes, obsolete taxon (1758) | worms (1828 - 32); see also Helminthology and Scolecology |
| Virology | Vir-, Latin, vírus, poisonous secretion, venom, virus | viruses and virus-like agents(1935) |
| Zooarchaeology | Zooarchae-, Greek, Zoo-, zoion (ζωον), animal; -archae-,arkhaiología (αρχαιολογια), antiquarian lore, ancient legends, history | and analysis of animal remains at archaeological sites to reconstruct relationships between people, animals, and their environment (1972) (also referred to as Archaeozoology) |
| Zoology | Zo-, Greek, zoion (ζωον), animal | animals (1669) |
| Zoonosology | Zoonos-, Greek, Zoo-, zoion (ζωον), animal; -nos-, nosos (νοσος), disease | zoonotic bacterial diseases, disease communicated from one kind of animal to another or to a human (1860) |
| Zoopathology | Zoopath-, Greek, Zoo-, zoion (ζωον), animal; pathos (παθος), disease | animal diseases; animal pathology (1879) |
If you have a question about any further scientific “ologies”, please contact AQUATICAL•LATIN via queries@aquaticallatin.info and we’ll do our best answer your query.