inertia
UK[ɪˈnɜːʃə]US[ɪˈnɜːrʃə]
n
a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.
n
a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
ert
ia
in
not
ert
skill, art
ia
noun suffix
Etymology
the word inertia originates from latin, where 'iners, inertis' meant 'unskilled, inactive'. this adjective was formed from the negative prefix 'in-' and 'ars', the stem of 'artem', meaning 'skill' or 'art'. thus, its literal sense was 'lacking skill' or 'idle'. the term was adopted into scientific language by sir isaac newton in his first law of motion, where it abstractly denotes the 'force of inactivity'—the property of matter that resists change in motion. this evolution transformed a term describing human idleness into a fundamental physical concept describing resistance to change in velocity.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + ert (skill, art) + ia (noun suffix)
in- (latin, a prefix meaning 'not, without'); ert- (latin, from 'ars, artis' meaning 'skill, art'); -ia (latin, a suffix forming abstract nouns).
Examples
the sheer inertia of the bureaucracy makes reform very difficult.
an object in motion will stay in motion due to inertia.
he couldn't overcome his inertia and stayed on the couch all weekend.