hamburger
UK[ˈhæmbɜːɡə(r)]US[ˈhæmbɜːrɡər]
n
a round, flat piece of minced beef that is fried and usually served in a bread roll.
n
the sandwich consisting of this meat patty in a bread roll.
Morpheme Breakdown
hamburg
er
hamburg
er
Etymology
the word 'hamburger' has a direct geographical origin, deriving from the name of the german city of hamburg. in the late 19th century, the term "hamburg steak" was used in american english for a patty of minced beef, a style of food associated with the city. the "-er" suffix, common in english for denoting origin (as in 'new yorker'), was later appended. through a process of reanalysis, the "ham" was mistakenly separated, leading to the creation of new compounds like "cheeseburger," where "-burger" came to stand for the patty-and-bun sandwich itself.
Analysis
Structure: hamburg + er
hamburg: german (toponym). the name of the german city of hamburg.
er: english (agent/inhabitant suffix). a suffix denoting a person or thing associated with a place or action.
Examples
he ordered a cheeseburger and a milkshake.
the restaurant is famous for its classic beef hamburger.
she prefers a veggie burger to a traditional hamburger.