intake
UK[ˈɪnteɪk]US[ˈɪnteɪk]
n
The process of taking something in, especially food, air, or an information.
n
The amount of food, drink, etc. that you take into your body.
n
A place or structure through which something (like air, water, or fuel) is taken into a machine or system.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
take
in
into, inward.
take
lay hold of
Etymology
The word 'intake' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements: the preposition 'in' and the verb 'take'. It emerged in Middle English, originally used in the literal sense of a place where water is taken into a conduit or channel. The logic is perfectly straightforward, describing the action of taking something inward. Over time, its application broadened from physical channels to encompass the consumption of nourishment and the reception of abstract entities like information, while always retaining its core sense of an inward-directed action of acquisition.
Analysis
Structure: in + take
- in: A preposition and adverb from Old English 'in', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'in' and German 'in', from an Indo-European root shared by Latin 'in' and Greek 'en'. In this compound, it functions as a prefix meaning "into, inward."
- take: A verb from Old English 'tacan', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'taken' and German 'taken', from a Germanic base meaning 'lay hold of'. In this compound, it functions as the core verb root meaning "to get into one's possession."
Examples
You should reduce your daily intake of sugary drinks.
The car's air intake was clogged with leaves.
The university has a large intake of new students every September.