- As ian ▁( Europe an ) ▁( G erman ic , ▁C elt ic ), ▁E uras ian ▁( S lav istics , ▁etc .), ▁Asian ▁( A rab ic , ▁Pers ian , ▁S ansk rit , ▁Chinese , ▁etc .), ▁and ▁African ▁( E gypt ian , ▁N ub ian , ▁etc .) ▁languages . ▁Ind o - Europe an ▁studies ▁involves ▁the ▁compar ative ▁phil ology ▁of ▁all ▁Ind o - Europe an ▁languages . ▁ ▁Phil ology , ▁with ▁its ▁focus ▁on ▁historical ▁development ▁( dia chron ic ▁analysis ), ▁is ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁lingu istics ▁due ▁to ▁Ferdinand ▁de ▁S auss ure ' s ▁ins istence ▁on ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁synchron ic ▁analysis . ▁The ▁contrast ▁continued ▁with ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁struct ural ism ▁and ▁Ch om sky an ▁lingu istics ▁alongside ▁its ▁emphas is ▁on ▁syntax , ▁although ▁research ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁historical ▁lingu istics ▁is ▁often ▁character ized ▁by ▁reli ance ▁on ▁phil ological ▁materials ▁and ▁find ings . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" ph il ology " ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Greek ▁ ▁( ph il ología ), ▁from ▁the ▁terms ▁ ▁( ph í los ) ▁" lo ve , ▁affection , ▁loved , ▁bel oved , ▁dear , ▁friend " ▁and ▁ ▁( l óg os ) ▁" word , ▁art ic ulation , ▁reason ", ▁describing ▁a ▁love ▁of ▁learning , ▁of ▁literature , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁of ▁argument ▁and ▁reasoning , ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁range