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awaited

UK[əˈweɪtɪd]US[əˈweɪtɪd]
v

(past tense and past participle of 'await') to wait for or be in store for something

v

to be ready or available for someone or something

Morpheme Breakdown

a
wait
ed
a

prefix

wait

root

ed

suffix

Etymology

the verb 'await' is a middle english formation, combining the intensive or directional prefix 'a-' with the root 'wait'. the root 'wait' entered english from old north french, where it carried meanings of watching and guarding, which themselves derive from a frankish/germanic source related to being wakeful or on watch. the '-ed' suffix is the standard english marker for the past tense and past participle. thus, 'awaited' literally denotes the state of having watched for or expected something, evolving from a concrete sense of vigilant observation to the more abstract modern sense of expectation or something being in store.

Analysis

Structure: a (prefix) + wait (root) + ed (suffix) a- (prefix): from old english 'a-', a prefix often used to form verbs, indicating a state or process. wait (root): from old north french 'waitier', meaning to watch, guard, or lie in wait for. -ed (suffix): from old english '-ede', '-ode', '-ad', a suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of weak verbs.

Examples

the long-awaited report was finally published yesterday.

a warm reception awaited the returning heroes.

the results are still awaited from the laboratory.

awaited – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology