Cryptic crossword clue
Origin of unit to be expressed? 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ETYMOLOGY

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
E
T
Y
M
O
L
O
G
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Origin" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case origin = etymology.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does ETYMOLOGY mean?

ETYMOLOGY noun
  1. The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.
  2. The origin and historical development of a word; the derivation.
  3. An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.

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