counterfeiting
UK[ˈkaʊntəfɪtɪŋ]US[ˈkaʊntərfɪtɪŋ]
n
the illegal act of making an exact copy of something, especially money or documents, in order to deceive people.
gerund
the action or process of producing counterfeit items.
Morpheme Breakdown
counter
feit
ing
counter
against, opposite
feit
make
ing
verbal noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'counterfeiting' has a journey that begins with the latin verb facere, meaning "to make or do." this root passed into old french as fait, the past participle of faire. combined with the latin prefix contra- ("against"), it formed the old french word contrefait, literally meaning "made in opposition or in imitation." the term entered middle english with the sense of making a deceitful copy. the modern abstract meaning, specifically the illegal imitation of currency or goods with intent to defraud, logically extends from this core idea of making something against the genuine article, a false version opposed to the truth.
Analysis
Structure: counter (against, opposite) + feit (make) + ing (verbal noun suffix)
- counter: from latin contra meaning "against, opposite". serves as a prefix in english.
- feit: from old french fait, past participle of faire ("to make"), from latin facere ("to make, do"). this is the root element.
- ing: from old english -ung, -ing, a suffix forming verbal nouns (gerunds) indicating action or process.
Examples
the government has introduced new security features on banknotes to prevent counterfeiting.
he was arrested for counterfeiting famous brand handbags and selling them online.
advances in printing technology have made digital counterfeiting a significant challenge.