enclosure
UK[ɪnˈkləʊʒə(r)]US[ɪnˈkloʊʒər]
n
an area that is surrounded by a barrier such as a fence or wall.
n
something that is placed inside an envelope or package along with a letter or other item.
n
the act of surrounding a piece of land with a fence or wall in order to claim it as private property, especially in historical contexts.
Morpheme Breakdown
en
clos
ure
en
make, put into
clos
close, shut
ure
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'enclosure' has a layered history, beginning with the latin verb 'claudere', meaning "to shut or close". this root passed into old french as 'clos', the past participle of 'clore' (to close). the latin prefix 'in-', signifying "in" or "into", was prefixed in old french to form 'enclos', meaning "shut in". finally, the latin noun-forming suffix '-ura', denoting an action or its result, was added to create the word. the literal morphemic logic of "putting into a closed state" evolved from the physical act of surrounding land with barriers to the modern abstract meanings, which include both a bounded physical area and any item enclosed within another.
Analysis
Structure: en (make, put into) + clos (close, shut) + ure (noun suffix)
en: from latin 'in-', meaning "in, into, make, put into". a prefix indicating causation or transformation.
clos: from latin 'claudere' (to shut, close), via old french 'clos'. a root indicating the action of closing or shutting.
ure: from latin '-ura', a suffix forming nouns denoting an action, process, or result.
Examples
the horses were grazing peacefully in the enclosure.
please see the details in the enclosure with this letter.
the enclosure of common land in the 18th century displaced many rural poor.