Heraldry

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhɛɹ.əl.dɹi/

Definitions

1. The study and practice of symbolic representation through coats of arms is foundational to personal and familial identification
2. It involves the artistic design and interpretation of emblems that signify heritage and status
3. The discipline and custom of creating and interpreting armorial bearings used to represent individual and family identity

Etymology: Heraldry is a plain formation: the noun "herald" with the suffix "-ry", which turns a person or office into the collective activity or domain associated with it. The herald was the officer who announced and arranged tournaments and ceremonies, so the craft of reading and designing coats of arms grew out of that official role, and the word "heraldry" came to name the whole body of knowledge and custom around those emblems. English first recorded "heraldry" in 1572, which displaced the older form "heraldy", a formation from "herald" with the suffix "-y". The suffix change is the only real difference between the two; the meaning stayed the same, and "heraldry" simply won out as the standard spelling.

Synonyms: coat of arms, emblem