speechlore

The science, study, or knowledge of language or speech; linguistics.

Noun

  1. The science, study, or knowledge of language or speech; linguistics.
    • I know it may be said that place names are very unsafe ground, as they are mostly taken by wild casts of thought ; but the truth is that they are more or less trustworthy, as they are taken upon wider or narrower...
    • It says they were driven forth by another race; and it is markworthy that it makes the Magyares, or Hungarians as we call them, to be what speechlore has now found them to be, Finns, or of the Finnish race, [...] -...
    • Morris mastered the secrets of English wordlore as much better than Shakespeare as the manifold development of the science of language (speechlore) naturally enabled him to do. - 1910, Benito Pérez Galdós, The...
  2. Philology; grammar.
    • After the publication of Redecraft, nearly all William Barnes's literary energies were given to "Speechlore," as he called Philology. - 1887, Leader Scott, The life of William Barnes:

Origin

From speech + lore.