ethnology

IPA/eθˈnɒlədʒi/
KK[ɛθnˈɑlədʒi]IPA/eθˈnɑːlədʒi/

ethnology — noun

1. the academic study that compares how different groups of people live, organize t

1.nounC2
Definition

the academic study that compares how different groups of people live, organize their communities, and pass on their cultural traditions

Example

Ryo started studying ethnology after volunteering in mountain villages.

collocation: study ethnology

Professor Amira uses ethnology to compare wedding customs across island communities.

ethnology to compare customs across groups

Common collocations
  • study ethnology
  • ethnology class
  • ethnology paper
  • ethnology exhibit
  • comparative ethnology
Synonyms
  • anthropology

    a broader field that also studies human biology, language, and archaeology, not only cultural comparison

  • cultural anthropology

    a closely related field, often with more focus on fieldwork within one culture or community

  • ethnography

    usually a detailed written description of one community rather than a wider comparison across cultures

Grammar Patterns

study ethnology

in ethnology

ethnology of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Ethnology is usually uncountable and names a field of study, not a single book or report. It often appears after verbs like study, teach, and compare, or in phrases such as 'the ethnology of island communities'.

Common Mistakes

He studies an ethnology at college.
He studies ethnology at college.
Ethnology is usually uncountable when you mean the subject.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These subjects all study people, but they do not ask the same kinds of questions. Ethnology mainly compares cultures and communities to see how ways of living differ and connect. Anthropology is broader and can also include language, archaeology, and human biology. Ethnography is usually a close description of one group, often based on fieldwork, while ethnology steps back to compare many groups. Sociology focuses more on social systems such as class, education, or institutions in modern society. For example, an ethnographer may describe one fishing village in detail, while an ethnologist compares fishing traditions in several coastal communities.

ethnology ↗anthropology ↗ethnographysociology ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the ethnology of island communities
  • a degree in ethnology
  • research in ethnology

Prepositions

  • in ethnology
  • of ethnology

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

Ethnology was formed from the Greek word 'ethnos', meaning 'people' or 'nation', and the ending '-logy', meaning 'the study of'. The term came into English through French 'ethnologie' in the nineteenth century, when scholars were naming new academic fields for studying human cultures and societies.