centurion
UK[senˈtjʊə.ri.ən]US[senˈtʊr.i.ən]
n
an officer in the ancient roman army who was in charge of about 100 soldiers.
Morpheme Breakdown
cent
urion
cent
hundred
urion
agent suffix
Etymology
the word 'centurion' has a direct and logical lineage from latin. it is derived from 'centuria', meaning a group of one hundred, which itself comes from 'centum', the latin word for a hundred. the suffix '-onem' (later anglicized to '-ion') was added to form 'centurionem', denoting the commander of such a unit. thus, the term's literal meaning, "leader of a hundred," has remained semantically stable from ancient roman military organization into modern english usage, specifically referring to that historical rank.
Analysis
Structure: cent (hundred) + urion (agent suffix)
cent (from latin 'centum', meaning 'hundred'); urion (a latin suffix forming agent nouns, often indicating a person associated with the root).
Examples
the centurion commanded his century with strict discipline.
in the film, the centurion was portrayed as a battle-hardened veteran.
archaeological evidence suggests a centurion's quarters were more spacious than those of ordinary soldiers.