somatology
|so-ma-tol-o-gy|
🇺🇸
/ˌsoʊməˈtɑːlədʒi/
🇬🇧
/ˌsɒməˈtɒlədʒi/
study of the body
Etymology
'somatology' originates from New Latin and ultimately from Greek, specifically the Greek root 'sōma' meaning 'body' and the suffix '-logia' meaning 'study' or 'discourse'.
'somatology' developed from Greek 'sōmatologia' into New Latin 'somatologia' and was adopted into English as 'somatology'.
Initially, it meant 'the study of the body', and over time it has retained that core meaning while being applied in different disciplinary contexts (medicine, anthropology, somatics).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the study or science of the body; the branch of knowledge concerned with the structure, function, and diseases of the body.
She studied somatology to better understand human physical structure and health.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in anthropology and related fields, a specialized study of bodily variation, development, and morphology among human populations.
In anthropology, somatology examines skeletal differences among populations.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/13 11:56