I know that is kind of a duh statement, especially from a writer but it’s the truth. I wouldn’t say etymology is a hobby, but I do enjoy thinking about words and where they came from and how their meaning developed over time.
One of my favorite sets of books is the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). This is not your ordinary dictionary, folks. It provides a comprehensive, historical record of a word, featuring its pronunciation, etymology, and, most notably, chronological quotations tracing its usage over time.
The second edition is comprised of twenty volumes. Think about that for a moment. A dictionary that houses a collection of so much knowledge about one language that it spans across several shelves. They have been working on compiling the third edition in 2000 and don’t expect it to be done until 2037.
I could wax poetic about the depth and breadth of what the OED has to offer but I know I’m going super nerd here. I guess I just see it as a way of trying to give you insight on what I mean when I say, I love words.