Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
ology (n.), -ology, -alogy (suffixes)
The suffixes are combining forms, from Greek logos, and mean “the science or study of,” as in genealogy, geology, mineralogy, psychology, and sociology. The plurals are -ologies and -alogies. Ology (there is no alogy, and the plural is ologies) is a jocular clipped form (see APHERESIS) meaning “a science, a branch of study,” as in I don’t know what new ologies they’re adding to today’s curriculum.
