fatty
UK[ˈfæti]US[ˈfæti]
adj
containing a lot of fat; like fat
n
an offensive word for a person who is fat or overweight
Morpheme Breakdown
fat
y
fat
adipose tissue
y
characterized by
Etymology
the word 'fatty' is a transparent english formation, directly combining the native germanic noun 'fat' with the productive adjectival suffix '-y'. the old english root fǣtt originally described the condition of being fatted or plump, particularly in livestock, and evolved to denote the greasy substance itself. the suffix '-y', with its ancient germanic lineage, consistently generates adjectives implying an abundance or characterization by the base noun. thus, the literal construction 'full of fat' logically extends to describe both substances rich in lipids and, by metaphorical application, a person perceived as having an excess of bodily fat. this straightforward morphological process demonstrates how english builds descriptive terms from its native lexical stock.
Analysis
Structure: fat (adipose tissue) + y (characterized by)
- fat: from old english fǣtt (fatted, plump), of germanic origin; the noun sense 'adipose tissue' developed in middle english. functions as the core root denoting the substance or quality.
- y: from old english -ig, a suffix forming adjectives meaning 'having the quality of' or 'full of'. functions as a derivational suffix creating an adjective from a noun.
Examples
the doctor advised him to avoid fatty foods like burgers and fries.
she trimmed the fatty edges off the steak before cooking it.
the tissue sample had a soft, fatty consistency.