count
UK[kaʊnt]US[kaʊnt]
v
to say numbers one after another in order
v
to calculate the total number of people or things in a group
v
to include someone or something in a total
v
to be important or valuable
n
the process of counting or a total number reached by counting
n
a nobleman in some European countries
Etymology
The verb 'count' entered English from Anglo-Norman French cunter or conter, which itself came from Latin computare, meaning 'to sum up, calculate'. The Latin source is a compound of com- (together) and putare (to reckon, consider). The semantic journey is clear: from the literal act of reckoning numbers together to the modern meanings of enumeration and valuation. The noun form referring to a European nobleman shares this origin, stemming from the title for a companion of a king or emperor, one who was 'reckoned' among his retinue.
Analysis
The word 'count' is a simplex word derived from a single, tight Germanic root. It does not lend itself to segmentation into distinct, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
The teacher asked the child to count to ten.
There were so many people that it was hard to get an accurate count.
In the end, it's your effort and attitude that really count.