ice-age
UK[ˈaɪs ˌeɪdʒ]US[ˈaɪs ˌeɪdʒ]
n
A period of time in the past when much of the earth's surface was covered with ice.
n
A very long period of time.
Morpheme Breakdown
ice
age
ice
frozen water
age
period of time
Etymology
The compound 'ice-age' is a modern scientific term, first used in the mid-19th century, that logically combines two ancient concepts to describe a geological phenomenon. The first element, 'ice', descends from the Proto-Germanic īsą, preserving its core meaning of frozen water. The second element, 'age', traces back through Old French to the Latin aetas, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root h₂eyu- meaning 'vital force, lifetime, eternity', which evolved to signify a long or characteristic period. The compound's literal construction—'a period of ice'—perfectly captures its modern definition: a prolonged epoch in Earth's history characterized by extensive glacial coverage and lower global temperatures.
Analysis
Structure: ice (frozen water) + age (period of time)
- ice: From Old English īs, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ijs and German Eis. Functions as the core noun denoting the substance.
- age: From Old French aage, eage, based on Latin aetas, aetat-, from aevum 'age, eternity'. Functions as a noun-forming element indicating a distinct period or era.
Examples
Woolly mammoths roamed the Earth during the last ice age.
The film's production seemed to take an ice age to complete.
Scientists study core samples to understand the cycles of ice ages and warmer interglacial periods.