bodyguard
UK[ˈbɒdiɡɑːd]US[ˈbɑːdiɡɑːrd]
n
A person or group of people employed to protect someone from attack or other danger.
Morpheme Breakdown
body
guard
body
guard
Etymology
The word 'bodyguard' is a transparent English compound formed from two native elements. 'Body' has Germanic origins, traceable to the Old English 'bodig', referring to the trunk or physical frame. 'Guard' entered English via Old French 'garder', which itself derives from Frankish, a West Germanic language. The compound's logic is perfectly literal: a 'bodyguard' is one who guards the (physical) body of another person. This straightforward combination, first recorded in the late 16th century, directly reflects the role's primary function of providing physical security to an individual.
Analysis
Structure: body + guard
- body: From Old English 'bodig', meaning the physical structure of a person or animal. In this compound, it functions to specify the object of protection.
- guard: From Old French 'garder', meaning to watch over, keep, protect. It functions as the core action or role within the compound.
Examples
The celebrity hired two bodyguards for the public event.
His loyal bodyguard stepped in front of him to block the camera.
She works as a bodyguard for a high-profile diplomat.