accompany
UK[əˈkʌmpəni]US[əˈkʌmpəni]
v
to go somewhere with someone
v
to happen or exist at the same time as something else
v
to play a musical instrument while someone else sings or plays the main tune
Morpheme Breakdown
ac
company
ac
to, towards, near
company
one who eats bread with another
Etymology
the word 'accompany' entered english in the late 14th century from old french 'acompaignier', meaning 'to be a companion to'. this french term was formed by combining the prefix 'a-' (from latin 'ad-', meaning 'to') with 'compaignier', a verb derived from 'compaignie' (company). the core latin root is 'companio', a compound of 'com-' (together with) and 'panis' (bread), literally meaning 'one who shares bread'. thus, the literal sense of 'to accompany' is 'to join someone as a companion', which evolved from the concrete act of sharing a meal to the more abstract concepts of attending, escorting, or occurring simultaneously with something.
Analysis
Structure: ac + company
ac- (latin, ad-, a prefix meaning 'to, towards, near'); company (from old french 'compaignie', meaning 'society, fellowship', from late latin 'companio', meaning 'one who eats bread with another').
Examples
children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
strong winds often accompany heavy rain.
the singer was accompanied on the piano by her sister.