Etymology

[Gr. etymos, from eteos, true, real, genuine, probably from eimi, to be; etymon, the true literal sense of a word according to its derivation, the derivation of a word from its root, and logos, account.] That part of grammar which treats of words by themselves, or their cla ification, their formation, and the alteration of their forms by derivation and inflection. It teaches the deduction of one word from another, and the various modifications by which the sense of the same word is diversified. The recent philological researches have given to this department of grammar a much more extensive and important field of inquiry, by bringing together whole groups of languages, and showing the connection existing between them in word and form. Etymon, n. [Gr. and Lat. etymon, pl. etyma.] An original; a root, or primitive word. Eu. [Gr. c.) A prefix signifying well, easy, good. Eu, (00,) a town of France, dep. Seine Inférieure, 18 m. from Dieppe. It is remarkable for its château. The forest of Eu extends for a considerable way on the E. and S. sides of the town. Eubanks, in Georgia, a post-village of Columbia co., about 80 m. N.E. by E. of Milledgeville. Eubœa, ( u -be'a.) [Anc. Euboia ; Turkish, Egripo ; It. Negroponte. The largest island in the Ægean Sea, formerly called Negropont; Lat. between 37° 57′ and 39° 2 N., Lon. between 22° 40′ and 24° 40 E. It is bounded on the N. by the Trikeri Channel, and on the W. by those of Talant a and Egripo. It extends in a direction parallel to the mainland; and is 105 m. long by 30 m. in extreme breadth, although in one part its breadth is scarcely four miles. At the narrowest part it is connected with the mainland by a bridge. The island is intersected by a chain of mountains, running N.W. and S.E., and attaining in the centre, in the range of Mount Delphi, an elevation of about 4,500 feet. Copper and other metals are obtained in the island, which also contains numerous hot springs. The pastures are excellent, and the declivities of the mountains covered with forests of fir-trees. The climate is salubrious, the valleys well watered and very fertile, but little cultivated. The chief products are cotton, oil, wine, wheat, fruit, and honey. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the breeding of cattle. The chief town is Chalcis, (q. t.) E. was peopled in the early historic times chiefly by Ionic Greeks, and afterwards by colonists from Athens, who formed a number of independent cities or states. After the Persian wars, E. was subjugated by the A then i ans, under whose rule it continued till they, in their turn, were subdued by Philip of Macedon. By the Romans it was finally united with the province of Achaia under Vespas i an. In 1204 it came into the po e ion of the Venetians, and received the name of Negroponte. In the year 1470, the island was taken by the Turks, in whose hands it remained till 1821, when the inhabitants rose to vindicate their independence at the call of the beautiful Modena Maurogenia. It forms now a portion of the kingdom of Greece. Pop . 70,000.