imago
UK[ɪˈmeɪɡəʊ]US[ɪˈmeɪɡoʊ]
n
the final and fully developed adult stage of an insect, typically winged.
n
in psychoanalytic theory, an unconscious idealized mental image of someone, especially a parent, which influences a person's behavior.
Morpheme Breakdown
imag
o
imag
image
o
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'imago' is a direct borrowing from latin, where 'imago' meant an image, copy, or representation. in its original latin use, it could refer to portraits, statues, or mental pictures. this core sense of a likeness was adopted into scientific terminology in the 18th century to name the final, perfect form of an insect, seen as the true 'image' of its species. in 20th-century psychoanalysis, carl jung repurposed the term to describe an unconscious, archetypal image, particularly of a parent, that shapes an individual's psyche, thus extending the ancient concept of a 'likeness' into the realm of idealized mental representations.
Analysis
Structure: imag (image) + o (noun suffix)
imag (from latin 'imago', meaning image, likeness, copy); o (a common noun-forming suffix in latin loanwords).
Examples
the butterfly emerged from its chrysalis, a beautiful imago ready for flight.
the patient's relationship difficulties were analyzed as stemming from a conflicted paternal imago.
entomologists study the imago to understand the insect's reproductive behavior.