contemporaneous
UK[kənˌtem.pəˈreɪ.ni.əs]US[kənˌtem.pəˈreɪ.ni.əs]
adj
existing or occurring in the same period of time.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
tempor
aneous
con
together
tempor
time
aneous
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'contemporaneous' is a direct borrowing from late latin 'contemporaneus', which was itself formed from the latin elements 'con-' (together) and 'tempus' (time). the core concept is of things or events sharing the same time frame. this latin root 'tempus' is traced back to the proto-indo-European 'tempos-', meaning 'stretch, duration', which also gave rise to words like 'temporal' and 'temporary'. the modern english term retains the precise, formal sense of its latin ancestor, specifically denoting simultaneity within a historical or chronological context.
Analysis
Structure: con (together) + tempor (time) + aneous (adjective suffix)
- con: a latin prefix meaning 'together, with'.
- tempor: from latin 'tempus, tempor-' meaning 'time'.
- aneous: a latin-derived adjectival suffix meaning 'characterized by, belonging to'.
Examples
the two artists were contemporaneous, though they worked in complete isolation from one another.
fossil records show contemporaneous species that likely competed for the same resources.
the development of these technologies was contemporaneous with major social changes.