documentary
UK[ˌdɒk.jʊˈmen.tər.i]US[ˌdɑː.kjəˈmen.tər.i]
adj
consisting of official documents or factual evidence.
adj
using pictures or interviews with people involved in real events to provide a factual report.
n
a film or television or radio programme that provides a factual report on a particular subject.
Morpheme Breakdown
document
ary
document
record
ary
pertaining to
Etymology
the word 'documentary' originates from the latin verb 'docere', meaning "to teach". its derivative, 'documentum', referred to a lesson or an official paper that served as proof or instruction. the suffix '-ary', entering english via old french, denotes a relationship or pertinence. thus, the literal construction "pertaining to documents" evolved from describing evidence-based records to its modern sense of a non-fictional, factual film genre that aims to inform or instruct its audience, preserving the core idea of providing proof and education.
Analysis
Structure: document (record) + ary (pertaining to)
document: from latin 'documentum' (lesson, proof), from 'docere' (to teach). serves as the core noun/verb root.
ary: a suffix of latin origin via old french '-aire', forming adjectives meaning "of, connected with, or pertaining to".
Examples
the lawyer presented documentary evidence to support her case.
we watched a fascinating documentary about marine life in the deep ocean.
his research is based on extensive documentary sources from the national archives.