imperishable

the word "imperishable" is a modern english formation built upon the existing verb "perish". the verb "perish" itself entered english via old french from the latin "perire", meaning "to pass through, be lost, or decay", which is a compound of "per-" (through, to destruction) and "ire" (to go). the negative prefix "im-" (a form of "in-") is attached to negate the action, creating the sense of "not perishing". finally, the suffix "-able" is added to transform it into an adjective meaning "capable of not perishing". thus, the literal morpheme logic of "not capable of decaying" evolved into the modern abstract meaning of something enduring, indestructible, or eternal.

Structure: im (not) + perish (decay) + able (capable of) - im: a latin prefix meaning "not", a variant of "in-" used before words beginning with 'p', 'b', or 'm'. it functions as a negative prefix. - perish: from the english verb "perish", meaning to die, decay, or be destroyed. it originates from latin "perire" (to pass away, be lost). - able: an english suffix forming adjectives, meaning "capable of, fit for, or worthy of". it comes from latin "-abilis".