devalued
UK[ˌdiːˈvæljuːd]US[ˌdiːˈvæljuːd]
v
reduced the official value of a currency in relation to other currencies.
v
reduced or underestimated the worth, importance, or quality of something.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
value
ed
de
remove/reverse
value
worth
ed
past/participle suffix
Etymology
the word "devalued" is constructed from three distinct morphemes. the prefix "de-", of latin origin, carries a sense of reversal or reduction. it is attached to the noun "value", which traces back to the latin verb valere, meaning "to be strong, to be worth". the final "-ed" suffix is the standard english marker for the past tense or past participle. the literal, morphemic meaning is thus "to have the worth taken away or reduced". this logic perfectly maps onto its modern economic sense of officially lowering a currency's value, as well as its broader figurative use for diminishing the perceived importance or quality of anything.
Analysis
Structure: de (remove/reverse) + value (worth) + ed (past/participle suffix)
de: latin origin, a prefix meaning "down from, off, away, completely" or indicating reversal or removal.
value: from latin valere meaning "be strong, be worth", via old french value. in this word, it functions as the root noun meaning "worth".
ed: old english origin, a suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
the government devalued the currency by 20 percent in an attempt to boost exports.
she felt her contributions were constantly devalued by her manager.
the discovery of vast new reserves temporarily devalued the precious metal.