harvest
UK[ˈhɑːvɪst]US[ˈhɑːrvɪst]
n
the time of year when crops are gathered from the fields
n
the act of gathering a crop
n
the crop that is gathered
v
to gather a crop from a field
Etymology
the english word 'harvest' originates from the old english 'hærfest', which referred specifically to the third season of the year, autumn, and the act of reaping. this old english term is cognate with the german 'herbst' (autumn), both descending from the proto-germanic 'harbistaz'. this proto-germanic root is further traced to the proto-indo-european 'kerp-', meaning 'to gather, pluck, harvest'. the semantic journey is direct: from the ancient concept of gathering or plucking, the word came to denote the season of gathering and, finally, the act and yield of gathering crops, which is its primary modern meaning, having lost its general sense of 'autumn' in english.
Analysis
the word 'harvest' is a simplex form derived from old english 'hærfest'. it is not productively segmentable into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern english.
Examples
the wheat harvest begins in late july.
they worked long hours to harvest the corn before the rain.
we enjoyed a bountiful harvest from our garden this year.