distributor
UK[dɪˈstrɪbjətə(r)]US[dɪˈstrɪbjətər]
n
a person or company that supplies goods to shops and other businesses that sell to the public.
n
a device in an internal-combustion engine that sends electric current to the spark plugs in the correct order.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
tribut
or
dis
apart
tribut
assign
or
agent noun suffix
Etymology
the word distributor originates from the latin verb 'distribuere', meaning "to divide up, apportion, or mete out," which itself is composed of the prefix 'dis-' (apart) and 'tribuere' (to assign or grant). the core concept of 'tribuere' is linked to the notion of giving or allotting, historically connected to the division of resources or payments among tribes. as the term evolved through middle english from old french, the agent suffix '-or' was added, shifting the focus from the action to the entity performing it. thus, a modern distributor literally embodies the concept of an agent that allots or apportions goods, electricity, or resources to various endpoints.
Analysis
Structure: dis (apart) + tribut (assign) + or (agent noun suffix)
dis: latin origin, a prefix meaning "apart, away, having a reversing or negative force."
tribut: from latin 'tribuere', meaning "to assign, allot, pay."
or: latin agent noun suffix, indicating a person or thing that performs the action of the verb.
Examples
the company is a major distributor of pharmaceutical products across the country.
he checked the distributor cap for signs of wear or damage.
the film's international distributor secured its release in over fifty markets.