enumerate
UK[ɪˈnjuːməreɪt]US[ɪˈnuːməreɪt]
v
to name things on a list one by one
v
to count something or determine the number of something
Morpheme Breakdown
e
numer
ate
e
out of, from
numer
number
ate
to act upon, to provide with
Etymology
the verb 'enumerate' is a direct borrowing from latin 'enumeratus', the past participle of 'enumerare', meaning 'to count out, to reckon'. this latin verb itself is a compound, formed from the prefix 'e-' (a variant of 'ex-', meaning 'out') and the root 'numerus' (meaning 'number'). the literal sense of 'counting out' items from a total, or listing them one by one, has been preserved in the modern english meaning. the suffix '-ate' was adopted into english as a standard verb-forming ending from latin participles, solidifying its grammatical role.
Analysis
Structure: e + numer + ate
e: (prefix) from latin 'ex-', meaning 'out of, from'.
numer: (root) from latin 'numerus', meaning 'number'.
ate: (suffix) from latin '-atus', forming verbs meaning 'to act upon, to provide with'.
Examples
the report proceeds to enumerate the key challenges facing the industry.
she asked me to enumerate all the reasons for my decision.
the first step is to enumerate the total number of participants.