ex-army

The word is a modern English compound formed by directly prefixing the Latin-derived prefix 'ex-' to the noun 'army'. The prefix 'ex-', from Latin ex meaning "out of, from," is commonly used in English to denote a former status, as seen in terms like ex-president or ex-wife. The noun 'army' entered English via Old French, tracing back to the Latin armata, meaning "armed force," itself derived from arma (tools, weapons of war). Therefore, 'ex-army' logically constructs the meaning of "former member of the armed force" by combining the concept of being "out of" with the specific institution of the "army."

Structure: ex (out of, former) + army (military land force) - ex: A prefix of Latin origin, meaning "out of, from, thoroughly, former." In this word, it functions as a derivational prefix indicating a former state or status. - army: A noun of French origin (from Old French armee, from Medieval Latin armata "armed force"), ultimately from Latin arma "arms, weapons." In this compound, it functions as the base noun specifying the organization.