intern
UK[ˈɪntɜːn]US[ˈɪnˌtɜːrn]
n
A student or recent graduate, especially in a professional field like medicine or business, who works for a period of time to gain practical experience.
v
To confine or oblige someone, especially a prisoner of war or an enemy alien, to live in a restricted area or camp.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
tern
in
in, within
tern
of three, three each
Etymology
The word "intern" originates from the French interne, meaning "assistant doctor, resident within a school", which itself derives from the Latin internus ("inward, internal"). The semantic link to confinement comes from the idea of being held within a place. The modern professional sense, particularly in medicine, evolved from the historical practice where young doctors resided within a hospital. The morpheme "tern" is a fossilized fragment from the Latin root, no longer carrying its original numerical meaning of "three" but preserved in the spelling due to its journey through French into English.
Analysis
Structure: in + tern
- in: Latin origin, meaning "in, within". A prefix indicating location or state.
- tern: From Latin ternus, meaning "of three, three each". In this word, it is a clipped and altered form from the French interne, ultimately from the Latin internus meaning "inward, internal".
Examples
She secured a summer intern position at the law firm.
During the war, the government decided to intern foreign nationals.
The medical intern was on call for 24 hours.