endangered
Meaning
(of a species) seriously at risk of extinction
in danger of being harmed, damaged, or destroyed
Structure
Usage
The giant panda is no longer classified as an endangered species.
Construction projects must assess their impact on endangered wildlife.
The ancient forest is an endangered ecosystem due to climate change.
Etymology
The word 'endangered' is a relatively modern English formation, built upon the older noun 'danger.' The core concept of 'danger' itself has an intriguing history, evolving from the Latin dominium (lordship, power) through Old French dangier to signify the peril one faces under someone else's power or control. The prefix 'en-' was attached to this noun to create the verb 'endanger,' meaning "to put into danger." Finally, the past participle suffix '-ed' was applied, transforming it into an adjective that describes something as "having been put into a state of danger." This logical construction—first creating the action of causing peril, then describing the resultant state—perfectly captures the modern meaning of a species or thing brought to the brink of harm or extinction.
Analysis
- en: A prefix of French and Latin origin, meaning "to cause to be, put into, or make." - danger: From Old French dangier, meaning "power, dominion, peril," ultimately from Latin dominium meaning "lordship, power." - ed: A suffix of Old English origin used to form adjectives from nouns or verbs, meaning "having, characterized by."