'audiology' originates from a combination of Latin 'audire' (to hear) and Greek 'logos' (study), formed as a modern scholarly/medical term.

'audiology' was coined in English in the early 20th century by combining the prefix 'audio-' (from Latin 'audire') with the suffix '-logy' (from Greek 'logos'), resulting in the modern word 'audiology'.

Initially, it meant 'the study of hearing'; over time it has retained this core meaning while also coming to commonly denote the clinical practice that diagnoses and treats hearing and balance disorders.