curriculum
UK[kəˈrɪk.jə.ləm]US[kəˈrɪk.jə.ləm]
n
the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college.
n
the regular activities and experiences that form part of a child's life or education.
Morpheme Breakdown
curr
iculum
curr
run
iculum
noun suffix
Etymology
the word curriculum entered english in the early 19th century directly from modern latin, where it meant 'a course, a running'. its core is the latin verb 'currere' (to run), a descendant of the proto-indo-european root kers- (to run). the suffix -iculum forms nouns denoting an instrument or a place for an action. thus, the literal sense is 'a course to be run' or 'a racecourse'. this metaphor of a prescribed path evolved logically from the physical act of running a race to the abstract concept of a planned sequence of educational subjects or life experiences one progresses through.
Analysis
Structure: curr (run) + iculum (noun suffix)
curr is from latin 'currere', meaning 'to run'. iculum is a latin noun-forming suffix indicating an instrument or means.
Examples
the school is reviewing its science curriculum to include more practical experiments.
extracurricular activities are an important part of a student's overall curriculum.
the curriculum vitae provides a summary of a person's educational and professional history.