cherish
Meaning
To love and care for someone or something deeply.
To keep a hope, idea, or pleasant feeling in your mind for a long time.
Structure
Usage
Parents naturally cherish their children.
I will always cherish the memories of our trip together.
She cherishes the hope that they will meet again one day.
Etymology
The word 'cherish' entered English in the 14th century from the Old French verb cherir, which was based on the adjective cher meaning 'dear'. This French term descended from the Latin carus, carrying the same sense of 'dear, valued, beloved'. The core semantic journey is from a concrete value or high price in its ancient Proto-Indo-European root, to an abstract emotional value in Latin and Romance languages. The English verb, formed by adding the productive suffix '-ish', thus literally means 'to hold or treat as dear', perfectly capturing its modern senses of tender care and fondly holding onto thoughts or feelings.
Analysis
cher: From Old French cher, meaning 'dear' or 'beloved', ultimately from Latin carus. ish: A verb-forming suffix of Germanic origin, used to create verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to become'.