coming-of-age
UK[ˌkʌmɪŋ əv ˈeɪdʒ]US[ˌkʌmɪŋ əv ˈeɪdʒ]
adj
Relating to or marking the transition from childhood to adulthood
n
The time or occasion when a person becomes an adult, as recognized by their culture or by law
Morpheme Breakdown
coming
of
age
coming
verb
of
preposition
age
noun
Etymology
The phrase "coming-of-age" is a modern English compound formed from three native and borrowed elements. The core concept is built upon the verb "come," with ancient Proto-Indo-European roots in \gʷem- (to step, go), which evolved into the Old English cuman. It combines with the preposition "of," from Old English of, and the noun "age," which traveled from Latin aetās through Old French. Literally meaning "the arriving of age," the phrase logically captures the moment one steps into or arrives at adulthood. This figurative journey from a literal action of arrival to a symbolic life-stage transition exemplifies how English creates abstract, culturally significant terms from simple, concrete grammatical components.
Analysis
Structure: coming (verb) + of (preposition) + age (noun)
- coming: From Old English cuman (to come, arrive). Functional role: Present participle verb form indicating the process or act of arriving.
- of: From Old English of (of, from). Functional role: Preposition linking the action to its object.
- age: From Old French aage, eage, from Vulgar Latin \aetāticum, from Latin aetās (age, lifetime). Functional role: Noun denoting a period of life.
Examples
She wrote a poignant coming-of-age novel about her teenage years.
His bar mitzvah was a significant coming-of-age ceremony.
The film is a classic coming-of-age story set in the 1980s.