| morphology |
| Definition: The study of the formation and structure of words (e.g., their inflection). Note: As opposed to syntax, which is the study of the arrangement of groups of words (i.e., phrases, clauses, and sentences). |
| Etymology: The word derives from the Greek morphe, form or shape + ology, study of. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The first OED citation of the word in this sense is from 1871: "Morphology or Wordlore … has three divisions:— I. Flexion. II. Derivation. III. Composition." (Public Sch. Lat. Gram. 21) |