ex-girlfriend
UK[ˌeks ˈɡɜːlfrend]US[ˌeks ˈɡɜːrlfrend]
n
a former girlfriend; a woman with whom one was previously in a romantic relationship.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
girlfriend
ex
former
girlfriend
romantic partner
Etymology
The word is a modern English compound formed by attaching the Latin prefix 'ex-' to the native English noun 'girlfriend'. The prefix 'ex-', deriving from Latin 'ex' meaning "out of, from," was adopted into English to productively form nouns indicating a former status, such as 'ex-president' or 'ex-husband'. The term 'girlfriend' itself emerged in the 19th century, combining 'girl' (of Germanic origin) and 'friend' (from Old English 'frēond'). Thus, 'ex-girlfriend' logically constructs its meaning through a transparent morphological process: a person who is "out of" or "former" in the role of a romantic female partner.
Analysis
Structure: ex (former) + girlfriend (romantic partner)
- ex: A prefix of Latin origin, meaning "out of, from, former." In this compound, it functions as a derivational prefix indicating a previous state or status.
- girlfriend: A compound noun of English (Germanic) origin, from 'girl' (young woman) + 'friend' (person attached by affection). It functions as the base noun denoting the role or relationship.
Examples
She ran into her ex-girlfriend at the coffee shop.
He's still on good terms with most of his ex-girlfriends.
It can be awkward when your ex-girlfriend starts dating your friend.