braille
UK[breɪl]US[breɪl]
n
a system of writing for blind people, using patterns of raised dots which they read by touching with their fingers.
Etymology
the term 'braille' is an eponym, taken directly from the surname of louis braille (1809–1852), the french educator who invented the tactile writing system at the age of 15. braille himself was blind, and he adapted and simplified an earlier military code for night writing called 'sonography' or 'night writing' created by charles barbier. the system's logic lies in its use of a six-dot cell, allowing for 63 possible combinations to represent letters, numbers, and punctuation. from its initial french adoption, the word entered english in the mid-19th century, becoming the universal name for this revolutionary means of literacy for the visually impaired.
Analysis
the word is a loanword and eponym, derived from the surname of its inventor, louis braille. it does not contain separable morphemes in the context of the english language.
Examples
she learned to read braille at a special school.
all public buildings should have signs in braille.
he transcribed the novel into braille for the library.