decoder
UK[diːˈkəʊdə]US[diːˈkoʊdər]
n
A device or a person that converts coded data into a form that can be understood.
n
A circuit or piece of software that converts a signal from one form to another, especially from a digital or encoded format.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
code
er
de
reverse
code
cipher
er
agent
Etymology
The word 'decoder' is a modern English formation built upon the verb 'decode.' The core component, 'code,' originates from the Latin 'codex,' which referred to a wooden tablet or a book, later evolving to signify a systematic collection of laws. By the 19th century, 'code' had acquired the specific meaning of a system of symbols used for secrecy. The prefix 'de-,' from Latin, carries the sense of reversal or removal. Therefore, to 'decode' literally means to reverse the process of coding, to extract the original message from its concealed form. The agent suffix '-er' is then appended to create a noun for the entity—whether human or mechanical—that performs this function of interpretation and conversion.
Analysis
Structure: de (reverse) + code (cipher) + er (agent)
- de: A Latin prefix meaning "down, away, off, reverse, undo."
- code: From Latin 'codex' (a book, a system of laws), via Old French 'code'. In this context, it refers to a system of symbols for secret communication.
- er: An English agent noun suffix, indicating a person or thing that performs an action.
Examples
The satellite receiver uses a built-in decoder to unscramble the television signal.
Archaeologists acted as decoders, painstakingly translating the ancient script.
This software includes an MP3 decoder to play compressed audio files.