Iconologic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Of or pertaining to the analysis and interpretation of icons, symbols, and their meanings in art and culture
2. Concerned with the systematic study of symbolic images and their significance in visual representation and tradition
3. Relating to the scholarly examination of icons and iconography as expressions of cultural or religious meaning

Etymology: "Iconologic" is simply an alternative form of "iconological," so the history is that of the longer adjective. It is a plain formation: the noun "iconology," with the adjectival suffix "-ical" attached. The noun "iconology" is the base, built on the Greek-derived element "icon," meaning image, combined with "-logy," the study of a subject, so the whole word names the study of images and their symbolic meanings. The adjectival suffix comes from Latin "-icalis," itself built from "-icus" and "-alis," which passed through Old French and Middle English before reaching English. Those layers explain why the ending sounds so familiar in words like "theological" and "geological." Once attached to "iconology," the suffix produces an adjective meaning relating to or concerned with iconology.

Synonyms: iconological, symbolic