examine
UK[ɪɡˈzæmɪn]US[ɪɡˈzæmɪn]
v
To look at or consider a person or thing carefully and in detail in order to discover something about them.
v
To test someone's knowledge or ability in a particular subject formally.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
amin
e
ex
out
amin
weigh, consider
e
verbal suffix
Etymology
The word 'examine' originates from the Latin verb examinare, meaning "to weigh accurately, to test, to consider." This verb itself is derived from examen, meaning "the tongue of a balance" or "a means of weighing," which metaphorically extended to mean "test, trial." The root ag- (to drive, lead) is Proto-Indo-European in origin, evolving in Latin to convey the action of driving a scale's beam to find balance. Thus, the literal concept of "driving or leading out a weight for measurement" evolved through French into the modern abstract meanings of scrutinizing, investigating, or testing knowledge.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + amin (weigh, consider) + e (verbal suffix)
- ex: A Latin prefix meaning "out, out of, thoroughly."
- amin: Derived from the Latin root agmen- (from agere "to drive, lead, weigh") via the verb examinare, meaning "to weigh, to consider."
- e: A common verbal suffix in English from Latin -are.
Examples
The doctor will examine the patient thoroughly.
Lawyers need to examine all the evidence before the trial.
Students must sit to examine their proficiency in mathematics at the end of the term.