flourish
UK[ˈflʌrɪʃ]US[ˈflɜːrɪʃ]
v
to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as a result of a favorable environment.
v
to be working or active at a particular time; to be successful or very common.
v
to wave something in the air in a noticeable or excited way.
n
a bold or extravagant gesture or action, made especially to attract attention.
n
an ornamental flowing curve in handwriting or scrollwork.
Morpheme Breakdown
flour
ish
flour
flower
ish
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'flourish' entered english in the 14th century from the old french verb 'floriss-', the stem of 'florir', meaning 'to blossom, to flower'. this french term derives from the latin verb 'florere', which itself comes from 'flos', the latin word for 'flower'. the core semantic journey is from the literal act of a plant coming into bloom to the metaphorical sense of thriving, prospering, or reaching a peak of development. the sense of waving something, like a sword or a pen, developed from the idea of making a showy, sweeping motion reminiscent of a flower's display or an ornate, curved stroke in calligraphy.
Analysis
Structure: flour (flower) + ish (verb suffix)
'flour' originates from latin 'flos, floris' (flower) via old french 'florir'. in this word, it functions as the core root meaning 'to flower, to bloom'. 'ish' is a verb-forming suffix of germanic origin (old english '-isc'), used here to indicate the action or process of the root.
Examples
the arts and culture flourished during the renaissance period.
he signed the document with a final flourish of his pen.
she flourished the trophy above her head as the crowd cheered.