documentation
UK[ˌdɒkjʊmɛnˈteɪʃən]US[ˌdɑːkjʊmɛnˈteɪʃən]
n
The process of providing official documents or written evidence to support something.
n
The documents or written instructions that provide information about a piece of software, a system, or a process.
Morpheme Breakdown
document
ation
document
to provide evidence
ation
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'documentation' has its roots in the Latin verb docere, meaning 'to teach' or 'to show'. From this came documentum, which originally signified a 'lesson' or 'proof'—something that teaches or provides evidence. The suffix -ation was added in English to form a noun denoting the action or process associated with the verb 'to document'. Thus, the literal progression is from the concept of teaching or showing evidence, to the material that serves as proof, and finally to the systematic process of creating and compiling such evidence.
Analysis
Structure: document (to provide evidence) + ation (noun suffix)
- document: From Latin documentum (lesson, proof), from docere (to teach). Functions as the core lexical root.
- ation: A suffix of Latin origin (-ationem), forming nouns of action or state from verbs.
Examples
The project's success depended on thorough documentation of every stage.
Please refer to the software documentation for installation instructions.
She submitted the required documentation to support her visa application.