exchange
UK[ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ]US[ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ]
v
To give something to someone and receive something similar from them.
n
An act of giving one thing and receiving another thing, especially of the same type or value.
n
A place where things, especially stocks and shares, are bought and sold.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
change
ex
out of, from, thoroughly.
change
to barter, swap, alter.
Etymology
The word "exchange" entered English in the late 14th century from Anglo-French eschaungier, which itself evolved from Vulgar Latin excambiare. This Latin verb was a compound of the intensive prefix ex- ("out, thoroughly") and cambiare ("to barter, swap"), a word of Celtic origin. The core logic of the word, from its ancient roots to its modern financial and general usage, is the concept of a reciprocal giving and receiving, a thorough "changing out" of one item for another. This semantic thread connects the simple barter of goods to the complex transactions of a stock exchange.
Analysis
Structure: ex + change
- ex: A prefix of Latin origin meaning "out of, from, thoroughly."
- change: A root of Latin origin (from cambiare) meaning "to barter, swap, alter."
Examples
We exchanged phone numbers at the conference.
The currency exchange rate is favorable for travelers.
The New York Stock Exchange is a major global financial marketplace.