Literally, the study (Greek logia) of the Earth (Greek geo). The medieval Latin word geologia may have been coined in the 8th century by St Bede (The Venerable Bede, 672 or 673–735) to distinguish earthly matters from godly matters (i.e. theology). It acquired its modern meaning in the 18th century. Geology is the scientific study of the composition, structure, and history of the Earth. More recently, many branches of geology have become established as disciplines in their own right (e.g. geochemistry, geomorphology, geophysics, mineralogy, and palaeontology), and ‘geology’ has tended to decline in use.