graveyard
UK[ˈɡreɪvjɑːd]US[ˈɡreɪvjɑːrd]
n
A burial ground, especially one beside a church.
n
A place where old or unwanted objects are kept or abandoned.
Morpheme Breakdown
grave
yard
grave
burial place
yard
enclosed area
Etymology
The word 'graveyard' is a transparent compound formed from two Old English roots. 'Grave' originates from the Germanic concept of a dug-out trench or pit, which naturally evolved to mean a place of burial. 'Yard' stems from the Germanic idea of an enclosed or fenced area. When combined in Middle English, the term literally denoted an enclosed piece of ground containing graves, typically adjacent to a church. This concrete, literal meaning later extended metaphorically to describe any final resting place or repository for discarded items, such as a 'graveyard for old cars'.
Analysis
Structure: grave (burial place) + yard (enclosed area)
- grave: From Old English græf (ditch, trench, grave), of Germanic origin.
- yard: From Old English geard (enclosure, garden, court), of Germanic origin.
Examples
The ancient graveyard is filled with weathered headstones.
The field behind the factory became a graveyard for obsolete machinery.
She felt a chill walking through the silent graveyard at dusk.