corsage
UK[kɔːˈsɑːʒ]US[kɔːrˈsɑːʒ]
n
a small bunch of flowers worn pinned to a woman's clothes or tied around her wrist, typically for a formal occasion.
Morpheme Breakdown
cors
age
cors
body
age
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'corsage' has a direct and elegant journey from the physical human form to a decorative accessory. It originates from the Old French 'cors', meaning 'body', which itself descends from the Latin 'corpus'. The suffix '-age' is a common French noun-forming element. Originally, in the 15th century, 'corsage' referred to the bodice or upper part of a woman's dress. By the 19th century, the meaning shifted via metonymy; as flowers were commonly pinned to the bodice, the term transferred to the bouquet itself, retaining its intrinsic link to the body it adorns.
Analysis
Structure: cors (body) + age (noun suffix)
- cors: From Old French 'cors', meaning 'body'. Ultimately from Latin 'corpus' (body).
- age: A noun-forming suffix of French/Latin origin, indicating a state, condition, or thing related to.
Examples
She wore a beautiful orchid corsage on the lapel of her gown for the prom.
The mother of the bride had a delicate rose corsage pinned to her dress.
For the homecoming dance, his date's corsage matched the color of his boutonniere.