asleep
UK[əˈsliːp]US[əˈsliːp]
adj
in a state of sleep
adj
(of a limb) having no feeling; numb
Morpheme Breakdown
a
sleep
a
prefix
sleep
root
Etymology
the word "asleep" originates from old english "on slæpe", a phrase meaning "in sleep". the preposition "on" was gradually reduced to the prefix "a-", a common process in the development of english. the modern form "asleep" thus literally means "in a state of sleep". this construction, where a prepositional phrase fuses into a single adjective, is a characteristic feature of english, with the prefix "a-" often indicating a state or condition, as seen in words like "awake", "afire", and "afloat".
Analysis
Structure: a (prefix) + sleep (root)
a: old english, a prefix meaning "on, in, into, toward"
sleep: old english, the noun/verb meaning "sleep"
Examples
the baby was sound asleep in her crib.
i must have fallen asleep during the movie.
my foot is asleep from sitting in the same position for too long.