The word “epistemology” comes from the Greek words “epistēmē” (ἐπιστήμη) meaning “knowledge” or “science” and “logos” (λόγος) meaning “study” or “discourse.” Thus, epistemology literally translates to “the study of knowledge.”
The term was first coined in the 19th century, and it refers to the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge.