Etymology

hermeneutics

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Today it means: The study of interpretation, particularly concerning texts, meaning, and understanding. It originates from classical exegesis but was significantly developed in the modern period, especially in relation to phenomenology and existentialism. At its core, hermeneutics addresses the conditions of understanding and the processes by which meaning is constructed. Full definition →

Ancient Greek ἑρμηνευτῐκός
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromἑρμηνευτῐκός“of or for interpreting”
  2. English todayhermeneutics

From Ancient Greek ἑρμηνευτῐκός (hermēneutĭkós, “of or for interpreting”), from ἑρμηνεύω (hermēneúō, “translate, interpret”), from ἑρμηνεύς (hermēneús, “translator, interpreter”); sometimes ascribed as a Carian loanword. By surface analysis, hermeneutic + -s. Folk etymology suggests a connection with Hermes. The term was introduced c. 360 BCE by Aristotle in his text Perì Hermeneías (On Interpretation).

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekἑρμηνευτῐκός all →

hermeneutical

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.