archaeology

Where does the word "archaeology" come from? It comes from Greek arkhaios, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Archaeology’s story begins in Greek: arkhaios meant “ancient.” Ancient, primitive, combined with logos (study). It reached English by 1600s as archaeology. Settled as the English word for the study of human history through excavation. Today, archaeology means the study of human history through the excavation of sites and analysis of artifacts.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient arkhaios "ancient", ancient, primitive, combined with logos (study).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s archaeology "the study of human history through material remains", settled as the English word for the study of human history through excavation.