Oenological

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the scientific study and production process of wine
2. Connected with the knowledge and techniques involved in winemaking
3. Associated with the field of wine science and the art of creating wine

Etymology: The word is a chain of suffixes stacked onto a Greek root. "Oeno-" comes from Greek "oinos," meaning wine, and the ending "-logical" comes from "-logy," the study of something. The adjective therefore means "relating to the study of wine," with the scientific and production sense that came to dominate its use. The final "-al" passed through Old French and Latin before reaching English. Its ancestry runs back to a Proto-Italic "-ālis," which is itself linked to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to grow," which gives the suffix a sense of belonging to or pertaining to a thing. English picked up the adjectival ending in the Middle English period, so the form was built on familiar parts rather than invented from scratch.