Crossword clue: (historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase

The most common answer is deriving (8 letters).

2 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

Possible answers

deriving 8 letters wn-def

(historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase

etymologizing 13 letters wn-def

(historical linguistics) an explanation of the historical origins of a word or phrase