betrayal
UK[bɪˈtreɪəl]US[bɪˈtreɪəl]
n
the act of betraying someone or something, or the fact of being betrayed.
n
an act that shows you do not support someone or something that you should support.
Morpheme Breakdown
be
tray
al
be
to betray
tray
to betray
al
Etymology
the word 'betrayal' is built upon the verb 'betray', which entered english in the 13th century from old french 'traïr', meaning 'to deceive or hand over'. the old french term itself derives from latin 'tradere', a compound of 'trans-' (across) and 'dare' (to give), literally meaning 'to hand over'. the english verb was formed by adding the intensive prefix 'be-' to the root 'tray', amplifying the sense of delivering someone into danger. the noun 'betrayal' was later formed by appending the nominal suffix '-al', common in words like 'arrival' or 'refusal', to signify the act or result of betraying. thus, the term's journey encapsulates the evolution from the literal act of handing something over to the profound modern sense of violating trust and loyalty.
Analysis
Structure: be + tray + al
be- (old english, an intensifying or transitive prefix) + tray (middle english, from old french 'trair', meaning 'to betray') + -al (latin, a suffix forming nouns of action)
Examples
his disclosure of state secrets was an act of high treason and a profound betrayal.
she could never forgive her friend's betrayal of their childhood secret.
the politician's policy reversal was seen as a betrayal of his core supporters.