Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to ethnology: Pertaining to the branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific description and analysis of human cultures and societies, their origins, development, characteristics, and relationships.

Usage

The adjective "ethnological" is used to describe anything connected to the methods, principles, or findings of ethnology. It is typically used in academic, research, and descriptive contexts.

Examples

• The museum's new exhibit provides an ethnological perspective on the migration patterns of ancient tribes.
• Her ethnological research focuses on kinship systems in Southeast Asia.
• This artifact is of great ethnological significance.

Advanced Usage

• "Ethnological approach/method": Refers to the specific methodology used in ethnology, often involving long-term fieldwork and participant observation.
  • The study employed a classic ethnological approach, with the researcher living in the community for two years.
• "Ethnological data/evidence": Information collected through ethnological study.
  • The theory is supported by substantial ethnological evidence from diverse regions.

Variants and Related Words

• Ethnology (n): The scientific and descriptive study of human cultures and societies.
  • He is a professor of ethnology.
• Ethnologically (adv): In a manner relating to ethnology.
  • The two communities are ethnologically distinct.
• Ethnologist (n): A scholar who specializes in ethnology.
  • The ethnologist published her findings in a renowned journal.

Synonyms

• Cultural-anthropological: Relating to cultural anthropology, a closely related field.
• Sociocultural: Pertaining to the combination of social and cultural factors.

Notes on Meaning

"Ethnological" is sometimes used interchangeably with "ethnographic," though there is a subtle distinction. "Ethnographic" more specifically describes the practice of fieldwork and the resulting descriptive accounts, while "ethnological" often implies a broader, more comparative or analytical study of cultures.

Adjective

1. of or relating to ethnology
   • ethnological field work