Etiology

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Etiology (; alternatively spelled aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek word αἰτιολογία (aitiología), meaning "giving a reason for" (from αἰτία (aitía) 'cause' and -λογία (-logía) 'study of'). More completely, etiology is the study of the causes, origins, or reasons behind the way that things are, or the way they function, or it can refer to the causes themselves. The word is commonly used in medicine (pertaining to causes of disease or illness) and in philosophy, but also in physics, biology, psychology, political science, geography, cosmology, spatial analysis and theology in reference to the causes or origins of various phenomena, and even in computer science to reference the causes of bugs or unexpected behaviour. Throughout history and to the present day, when and where natural or historical facts are not well understood and/or not well documented, myths often arise to provide etiologies, e.g., causal explanations. Thus...

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