Baptist
UK[ˈbaptɪst]US[ˈbaptɪst]
n
A member of a Protestant Christian denomination that believes baptism should be performed only on people who are old enough to profess their faith.
n
(baptist) A person who baptizes someone.
Morpheme Breakdown
bapt
ist
bapt
to dip, immerse
ist
one who practices
Etymology
The word 'Baptist' originates from the Greek verb 'baptein', meaning 'to dip' or 'to immerse'. This term was adopted into ecclesiastical Latin as 'baptista', specifically denoting 'one who baptizes'. The '-ist' suffix, a productive agent-noun ending in English, was appended to denote a person associated with the practice. Thus, the term evolved from its literal Greek sense of 'dipper' to its modern, specific religious meaning identifying a member of a Christian tradition that emphasizes believer's immersion.
Analysis
Structure: bapt (to dip, immerse) + ist (one who practices)
bapt: From Greek 'baptein', meaning to dip, immerse, or wash.
ist: A suffix of Greek origin via Latin, forming agent nouns meaning 'one who practices or is concerned with something'.
Examples
She was raised as a Baptist and attends church every Sunday.
The Baptist preacher delivered a powerful sermon on faith.
John the Baptist is a key figure in the New Testament.