freight
UK[freɪt]US[freɪt]
n
goods transported in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft.
n
the transport of goods by truck, train, ship, or aircraft.
v
transport (goods) in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft.
Etymology
the word 'freight' entered english in the late middle english period, borrowed from the middle dutch or middle low german term 'vrecht' or 'vracht', which meant 'load, cargo, transportation by water'. these germanic terms are likely related to the old english verb 'fretan', meaning 'to devour', and the old high german 'frezzan', both from a proto-germanic root meaning 'to eat up, consume'. the semantic connection lies in the idea of a ship's cargo being a 'load' that consumes or takes up space. the spelling was later influenced by the obsolete english word 'fraught', which meant 'a load, cargo'. over time, 'freight' generalized from its specific association with water transport to encompass the carriage of goods by any means of bulk transportation.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword where the spelling and meaning were borrowed as a whole unit. it does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within modern english.
Examples
the train carries freight across the country.
the cost of air freight is higher than shipping by sea.
we need to freight these supplies to the construction site.