communion
UK[kəˈmjuːnɪən]US[kəˈmjuːnjən]
n
The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level.
n
The service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared; the Eucharist.
Morpheme Breakdown
commun
ion
commun
common, shared
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word "communion" originates from the Latin noun communio, meaning "a sharing in common" or "fellowship," itself derived from communis (common). The core concept of "commonality" or "that which is shared" traveled from the Proto-Indo-European root ko-moin-i-, with ko meaning "together." In Christian Latin, communio was adopted to specifically denote the fellowship of believers and, centrally, the sacrament of the Eucharist, which embodies the act of sharing the body and blood of Christ. Thus, the modern term retains this dual sense: the abstract, intimate sharing of feelings and the concrete, ritualistic sharing of the Eucharistic elements.
Analysis
Structure: commun (common, shared) + ion (noun suffix)
commun (from Latin communis, meaning "common, public, shared by all or many"); ion (a suffix of Latin origin forming nouns denoting action or condition).
Examples
The quiet walk in the woods gave them a deep sense of communion with nature.
She went to the altar to receive communion during the morning service.
Their long conversations fostered a profound intellectual communion between the two scholars.