collect
UK[kəˈlɛkt]US[kəˈlɛkt]
v
To bring things together from different places or over a period of time.
v
To ask for and receive money from people, especially as a regular payment or for a charity.
Morpheme Breakdown
col
lect
col
together
lect
gather
Etymology
The word 'collect' originates from the Latin verb 'colligere', meaning 'to gather together'. This verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'com-' (together) and the verb 'legere' (to gather, pick, choose). The semantic core of 'legere' involves the act of selecting and bringing items to one place, a concept that evolved into the English meanings of both 'read' (gathering meaning from words) and 'collect'. In Middle English, 'collect' was adopted from Old French 'collecter', which came from the Latin past participle 'collectus'. The modern English verb retains the original Latin sense of gathering items or people into one group or place, and by extension, gathering money or dues.
Analysis
Structure: col (together) + lect (gather)
- col: A Latin prefix, a form of 'com-' meaning 'together' or 'with'.
- lect: From the Latin root 'legere' (to gather, choose, read), specifically its past participle stem 'lect-'.
Examples
She likes to collect stamps from different countries.
The waiter came to collect the empty plates.
The charity collects donations online throughout the year.