Root of the Week: LOG (Tuesday)

Geology, Biology, Epidemiology, Psychology, Pathology (Noun)

The suffix -ology denotes a field of knowledge or study.  The Greek root geo means “Earth,” so geology is the study of the physical features of Earth. Geologists can analyze ancient rocks and determine how and when various parts of our planet were formed.

Bio is the root meaning “life”: biology is the study of life forms. One specialty within the field of biology is epidemiology, the study of the incidence and distribution of diseases within populations (from epi, meaning “among,” plus demos, people). 

The Greek goddess Psyche represented the soul and our word psychology denotes the study of the psyche—the mind or soul. Psychologists study and treat illnesses f the psyche, which are called psychopathologies. The word pathology derives from the root path, meaning “suffering, and -ology, the study of something.