commemorative
UK[kəˈmem.ər.ə.tɪv]US[kəˈmem.əˌreɪ.t̬ɪv]
adj
Made, done, or held to officially remember and honor a person or event.
adj
Intended to honor and remind people of someone or something.
Morpheme Breakdown
com
memor
ative
com
together, with, thoroughly
memor
mindful, remembering
ative
of or relating to; tending to
Etymology
The word 'commemorative' is built upon the Latin verb 'commemorare', meaning "to bring to remembrance, mention". This verb itself is a compound of the intensive prefix 'com-' and the stem 'memor', meaning "mindful". The root 'memor' descends from the Proto-Indo-European (s)mer-, meaning "to remember", which also gave rise to English words like 'memory' and 'memorial'. The suffix '-ative', borrowed from Latin '-ativus', transforms the verb base into an adjective, indicating a quality or function. Thus, the literal construction "thoroughly mindful" evolved into the modern sense of an object or act specifically designed to honor and preserve the memory of a person or event.
Analysis
Structure: com + memor + ative
- com: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "together, with, thoroughly".
- memor: Latin origin, from the root meaning "mindful, remembering".
- ative: Latin origin, an adjectival suffix meaning "of or relating to; tending to".
Examples
The museum issued a series of commemorative coins for the centennial anniversary.
A commemorative plaque was placed on the building where the historic treaty was signed.
They held a commemorative service for the fallen soldiers.