compile
UK[kəmˈpaɪl]US[kəmˈpaɪl]
v
To produce a book, report, list, etc. by bringing together information from various sources.
v
In computing, to translate instructions written in a high-level programming language into a form that a computer can understand and execute.
Morpheme Breakdown
com
pile
com
together
pile
to compress
Etymology
The word 'compile' entered English in the 14th century from Old French 'compiler', which itself derived from Latin 'compilare'. The Latin term originally meant 'to plunder' or 'to steal', a forceful gathering of goods. This sense evolved into the more neutral 'to collect or bring together', particularly written materials. The modern meaning, to systematically gather information from various sources into a single volume or list, retains this core idea of a comprehensive collection. The specialized computing sense, emerging in the mid-20th century, logically extends this to the gathering and systematic translation of code instructions into a unified machine-readable format.
Analysis
Structure: com (together) + pile (to compress)
The prefix 'com-' is from Latin, meaning 'together' or 'with'. The root 'pile' is from the Latin verb 'pilare', meaning 'to compress' or 'to ram'.
Examples
The librarian helped compile a bibliography of local history.
She compiled the survey results into a detailed report for the board.
You must compile the program before you can run it.