disquisition vs essay

disquisition

noun
  • A lengthy, formal discourse that analyses or explains some topic; (loosely) a dissertation or treatise. 

  • A methodical inquiry or investigation. 

essay

noun
  • A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject. 

  • A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote. 

verb
  • To move forth, as into battle. 

How often have the words disquisition and essay occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )