doorman
UK[ˈdɔːmən]US[ˈdɔːrmən]
n
a person whose job is to stand at the entrance to a large building such as a hotel or an apartment block, and help people who are going in or out.
Morpheme Breakdown
door
man
door
man
Etymology
the word 'doorman' is a transparent compound formed from two native english elements. 'door' descends from proto-germanic durz, itself from pie dhwer-, meaning 'doorway, gate, entrance'. 'man' comes from proto-germanic mann-, from pie man-, meaning 'person'. the compound logically denotes a person stationed at or associated with a door. its specific professional sense, referring to a uniformed attendant at a hotel or apartment building, developed in the 19th century, directly extending the literal meaning of 'door-man' to a defined service role.
Analysis
Structure: door + man
door: from old english 'duru'/'dor', meaning a portal, entrance, or barrier. functional role: root, indicating the object or location.
man: from old english 'mann', meaning a person, human being. functional role: root, indicating the person associated with the object/location.
Examples
the doorman tipped his hat and opened the door for the guests.
she gave her keys to the doorman so he could park her car.
the apartment building employs a 24-hour doorman for security and convenience.