ex-mayor

The word "ex-mayor" is a modern English compound formed by directly prefixing the Latin preposition "ex-" to the existing noun "mayor." The prefix "ex-," meaning "out of" or "from," is used extensively in English to indicate a former state or office, as seen in terms like "ex-president" or "ex-wife." The noun "mayor" entered English via Anglo-French maire, which itself derives from the Latin comparative adjective major ("greater"), implying a person of greater authority. Thus, the literal construction "former greater-one" elegantly captures the concept of someone who once held the preeminent civic office but does so no longer.

Structure: ex (former) + mayor (head of a city government) - ex: A prefix of Latin origin, meaning "out of, from, former." In this context, it denotes a former status or identity. - mayor: A noun of Anglo-French and Latin origin (from maire and Latin major, meaning "greater"), referring to the head of a municipal government.