consign
UK[kənˈsaɪn]US[kənˈsaɪn]
v
to give or send something to a person or place to be looked after or sold
v
to put someone or something in an unpleasant situation or place, especially for a long time
Morpheme Breakdown
con
sign
con
together, with
sign
to mark, to seal
Etymology
the word 'consign' originates from the latin verb 'consignare', which is a compound of the prefix 'con-' (meaning 'together') and the verb 'signare' (meaning 'to mark or seal'). the literal sense was 'to mark with a seal' or 'to certify by a seal', a formal act of authentication. this evolved into the legal and commercial meaning of formally handing over goods or documents, certified by a signature or seal, to another's custody. the modern abstract meanings of entrusting something to a person or situation, or relegating someone to an unpleasant fate, stem from this core idea of a formal, often binding, transfer.
Analysis
Structure: con + sign
con- (latin origin, meaning 'together, with'), sign (latin origin, from 'signare', meaning 'to mark, to seal')
Examples
the goods will be consigned to you by air freight.
the unsold paintings were consigned to the warehouse.
he felt consigned to a life of loneliness.