contaminated
UK[kənˈtæmɪneɪtɪd]US[kənˈtæməˌneɪt̬ɪd]
adj
Made impure or harmful by the addition of a dangerous or unwanted substance.
verb (past tense and past participle)
To make something impure or harmful by adding a dangerous or unwanted substance.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
tamin
ated
con
together, with,
tamin
to touch, to defile.
ated
Etymology
The word 'contaminated' originates from the Latin verb contaminare, meaning "to defile, pollute, or corrupt." This verb itself is built from the intensifying prefix com- (together, thoroughly) and the root tamin-, which is related to tangere (to touch). The literal sense was "to touch thoroughly," but with a negative connotation, implying a touch that spoils or corrupts. Over time, this evolved from the physical act of making something ceremonially or physically unclean to the modern, more general abstract meaning of making something impure or dangerous by introducing a harmful agent. The '-ated' suffix marks it as a past participle, describing the state of having been polluted.
Analysis
Structure: con + tamin + ated
con: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "together, with," intensifying the action.
tamin: A direct substring from the Latin root tamin-, related to tamen (a touch, contact) and tangere (to touch). Its functional role is the core root meaning "to touch, to defile."
ated: A suffix of Latin origin (-atus), forming the past participle, indicating a state or condition resulting from an action.
Examples
The water supply was contaminated with industrial chemicals.
They refused to eat the contaminated food from the damaged cans.
His testimony was dismissed because the evidence was considered contaminated.