computation
UK[ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃən]US[ˌkɑːmpjʊˈteɪʃən]
n
The act or process of calculating something, especially using mathematical methods.
n
The use of computers, especially as a subject of study or activity.
Morpheme Breakdown
comput
ation
comput
to calculate
ation
action or process
Etymology
The word 'computation' originates from the Latin verb 'computare', which is a compound of 'com-' (meaning "together") and 'putare' (meaning "to reckon, consider, or prune"). The literal sense of "reckoning together" evolved into the general concept of calculation. The suffix '-ation' was attached in Late Latin to form 'computatio', denoting the action or process of calculating. This term passed through Old French before entering Middle English, retaining its core mathematical meaning while expanding in the modern era to specifically encompass calculation performed by machines, particularly electronic computers.
Analysis
Structure: comput (to calculate) + ation (action or process)
- comput: From Latin 'computare', meaning "to count, sum up, reckon together". Its functional role is the core semantic root indicating calculation.
- ation: A suffix of Latin origin ('-atio', genitive '-ationis') used to form nouns denoting an action or process. Its functional role is to nominalize the verb root.
Examples
The theoretical computation predicted a different result.
He is majoring in computation and data science.
Manual computation of these figures would take hours.