christen
UK[ˈkrɪs(ə)n]US[ˈkrɪs(ə)n]
v
To give a name to a baby during the Christian ceremony of baptism.
v
To use something for the first time, especially in a ceremony that gives it a name.
Morpheme Breakdown
christ
en
christ
Christ
en
verb-forming suffix
Etymology
The verb 'christen' is derived from the Old English 'cristnian', meaning 'to make Christian, baptize'. This was formed from the noun 'Cristen' (Christian), which itself came from Latin 'Christiānus', a follower of Christ. The core element 'Christ' is from the Greek 'Christos', a translation of the Hebrew 'Māšîaḥ' (Messiah), meaning 'anointed one'. Thus, the literal action of 'christening' was to make someone a Christian through baptism, a ceremony involving anointing with oil. Over time, the meaning broadened to include the act of naming during this ceremony and, by metaphorical extension, to the ceremonial first use or naming of any object, such as a ship.
Analysis
Structure: christ (Christ) + en (verb-forming suffix)
'Christ' originates from Greek 'Christos', meaning 'anointed one', via Latin 'Christus'. The suffix '-en' is a verb-forming suffix of Germanic origin, meaning 'to make or become'.
Examples
They decided to christen their daughter Eleanor.
The new ship was christened with a bottle of champagne.
We christened the new conference room by holding our first major meeting there.