autobahn
UK[ˈɔːtəʊbɑːn]US[ˈɔːtoʊbɑːn]
n
A German motorway or expressway, especially one without a general speed limit.
Morpheme Breakdown
auto
bahn
auto
self
bahn
road
Etymology
The word is a direct loan from German, where it is a compound noun. The first element, "Auto," is a German shortening of "Automobil," itself derived from Greek autos (self) and Latin mobilis (movable), meaning a self-propelled vehicle. The second element, "Bahn," is a common German word for a path, road, or railway, originating from Old High German bana (track). Thus, the literal construction "car-road" logically evolved into the specific modern meaning of a high-speed motorway designed for automobiles, a concept famously associated with Germany's network.
Analysis
Structure: auto (self) + bahn (road)
- auto: From Greek autos (self). In this compound, it functions as a combining form meaning "self" or "automobile."
- bahn: From German Bahn (road, path, track). In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning "way" or "road."
Examples
We drove at high speed on the autobahn from Frankfurt to Munich.
The German autobahn system is renowned for its engineering and sections without speed limits.
He dreamt of renting a powerful car to experience the autobahn.