contagious
UK[kənˈteɪdʒəs]US[kənˈteɪdʒəs]
adj
(of a disease) spread from one person or organism to another by direct or indirect contact.
adj
(of an emotion, feeling, or attitude) likely to spread to and affect others.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
tag
ious
con
together, with
tag
to touch
ious
characterized by, full of
Etymology
the word 'contagious' originates from the latin 'contagiosus', which is derived from 'con-' (together) and 'tangere' (to touch). the core concept is of touching together, implying contact through which something is transmitted. this literal sense of transmission by physical contact evolved to describe communicable diseases. later, through metaphorical extension, it came to describe non-physical phenomena like emotions or laughter that spread rapidly from person to person, as if by contact.
Analysis
Structure: con + tag + ious
con- (latin origin, meaning 'together, with'), tag (latin origin, from the root tangere meaning 'to touch'), -ious (latin adjectival suffix meaning 'characterized by, full of').
Examples
chickenpox is a highly contagious illness.
her enthusiasm was contagious and soon the whole team was excited.
laughter is often described as contagious because it spreads quickly in a group.