When I begin my classes on vocabulary building I generally try and explain the reason for the existence of etymology as a subject.
A language is an invention and not a discovery.[difference between invention and discovery : invention is when one creates something altogether new and discovery is something that is already there and one finds it]
An invention will always have a rationale behind its being invented ;while discoveries only have hypothesis to explain the reasons behind their existence.
eg. the big bang theory (which attempts at explaining the beginning of the universe)
islands are discovered
newton discovered the gravitational force and so on ......
A language being an invention (was invented by man to communicate) would have some logic behind its invention.When we say there are 26 letters in the English alphabet there has to be an explanation for the existence of these 26 letters in the alphabet.
Etymology tries to explain this rationale behind the invention of the words by tracing the origin of words and thereby tracing the origin of the language.
A language is an invention and not a discovery.[difference between invention and discovery : invention is when one creates something altogether new and discovery is something that is already there and one finds it]
An invention will always have a rationale behind its being invented ;while discoveries only have hypothesis to explain the reasons behind their existence.
eg. the big bang theory (which attempts at explaining the beginning of the universe)
islands are discovered
newton discovered the gravitational force and so on ......
A language being an invention (was invented by man to communicate) would have some logic behind its invention.When we say there are 26 letters in the English alphabet there has to be an explanation for the existence of these 26 letters in the alphabet.
Etymology tries to explain this rationale behind the invention of the words by tracing the origin of words and thereby tracing the origin of the language.
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