Originally Posted by 12XU
In this case, I believe they could be used interchangeably, but etymology would be preferred since we're talking about historical origin, you asian-seeming mother****er.
heheh nice one
to me though, etymology referers to the history of the word's component elements, rather than what it refers to.
i could be wrong (usages vary), but this is the dictionary definition i found online:
1. The origin and historical development of a linguistic form as shown by determining its basic elements, earliest known use, and changes in form and meaning, tracing its transmission from one language to another, identifying its cognates in other languages, and reconstructing its ancestral form where possible.
2. The branch of linguistics that deals with etymologies.