expatiate
UK[ɪkˈspeɪʃɪeɪt]US[ɪkˈspeɪʃɪeɪt]
v
to speak or write about something in great detail or at considerable length.
v
to move about freely or at will.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
pati
ate
ex
out
pati
walk, go
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word expatiate entered english in the mid-16th century from the latin verb "exspatiari", which itself was formed from the prefix "ex-" (out) and "spatiari" (to walk, roam). the latin "spatiari" derived from "spatium", meaning space or room. the literal sense was "to walk or wander freely over a wide area". this concrete meaning evolved metaphorically in english to describe the act of speaking or writing freely and at length, as if wandering expansively through a subject. the modern abstract meaning retains this core idea of moving without restriction, whether physically or verbally.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + pati (walk, go) + ate (verb suffix)
ex: latin origin, a prefix meaning "out of, from, thoroughly".
pati: latin origin, from the verb "spatiari" meaning "to walk about", derived from "spatium" (space, room).
ate: latin origin via french, a verb-forming suffix meaning "to act in a specified manner".
Examples
the professor would often expatiate on his favorite theories long after the bell had rung.
she expatiated upon the complexities of the legal case for nearly an hour.
the narrative allows the author's mind to expatiate through various historical periods.