decal
UK[ˈdiːkæl]US[ˈdiːkæl]
n
A design or picture that can be transferred from a specially prepared paper onto another surface, such as glass, metal, or plastic.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
cal
de
down, off
cal
from 'calque'
Etymology
The word 'decal' is a shortened form of 'decalcomania', a 19th-century term borrowed from French. The French term was a compound of 'décalquer' (to trace, to copy by pressing) and the suffix '-manie' (mania, craze). 'Décalquer' itself comes from the Latin elements 'de-' (off) and 'calcare' (to tread, press). The core logic of the modern word 'decal' lies in this process: a design is pressed or transferred off one surface and onto another. While the '-mania' suffix was dropped in the shortened form, the 'de-' prefix and the root 'cal' (from calque/copy) preserve the original sense of a transferable copy.
Analysis
Structure: de (down, off) + cal (from 'calque')
de: A Latin prefix meaning "down, off, away, from."
cal: A shortened form derived from 'calque', a French word meaning "copy, tracing," itself from the Latin verb 'calcare', meaning "to tread, to press."
Examples
She carefully applied a floral decal to her laptop cover.
The model kit included several water-slide decals for adding detailed markings.
Many commercial vehicles use large decals for advertising.