bread
Meaning
A food made from flour, water, and usually yeast, mixed together and baked.
Usage
I bought a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery.
Would you like some butter on your bread?
The recipe calls for two slices of whole wheat bread.
Etymology
The English word 'bread' originates from the Old English 'brēad', meaning a fragment, morsel, or piece of food, specifically a bit of bread. This Old English term is of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse 'brauð', German 'Brot', and Dutch 'brood'. The original Proto-Germanic root likely referred to the action of brewing or fermenting, linking to the leavening process, before specializing to denote the baked staple food itself. This semantic evolution from a general term for a piece of food to the specific modern meaning highlights the central role of this foodstuff in the diet and language of early Germanic peoples.
Analysis
The word 'bread' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller morphemes within modern English spelling.