brakeman
UK[ˈbreɪkmən]US[ˈbreɪkmən]
n
a person whose job is to operate the brakes on a train, especially in the past.
Morpheme Breakdown
brake
man
brake
to slow or stop
man
person
Etymology
the word "brakeman" is a transparent compound formed within english from two germanic elements. the first element, "brake," entered english from middle dutch, referring to an instrument for retarding motion. the second element, "man," is a fundamental old english noun denoting a person. the compound literally means "a man who operates the brake," a term that emerged with the advent of rail transport in the 19th century to designate the crew member responsible for applying the manual brakes on railroad cars. its formation follows a common english pattern for occupational titles, directly combining the tool or function with the agent performing it.
Analysis
Structure: brake (to slow or stop) + man (person)
- brake: from middle dutch 'braeke', meaning a device for slowing or stopping. of germanic origin.
- man: from old english 'mann', meaning a person, human being. of germanic origin.
Examples
the brakeman signaled to the engineer before applying the hand brake.
in the early days of railroading, the brakeman's job was dangerous and required great agility.
the old freight train required a brakeman in each car to help control the speed on steep grades.