inundate
UK[ˈɪn.ʌn.deɪt]US[ˈɪn.ʌn.deɪt]
v
to cover an area of land with a large amount of water; to flood.
v
to give or send someone so many things that they cannot easily deal with them all.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
und
ate
in
in, into
und
wave
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'inundate' originates from the latin verb 'inundare', which means 'to overflow' or 'to flood'. this latin term is a compound of the prefix 'in-', signifying 'into' or 'upon', and the root 'unda', meaning 'a wave'. the literal sense is therefore 'to flow or come in like a wave'. the core concept of being overwhelmed by a wave of water was metaphorically extended in english to describe being overwhelmed by anything in great quantity, such as work or information, retaining the sense of a powerful, engulfing force.
Analysis
Structure: in (in, into) + und (wave) + ate (verb suffix)
in- (latin prefix, meaning 'in, into, upon'); und- (latin root, from 'unda' meaning 'wave'); -ate (latin-derived verb-forming suffix).
Examples
heavy rains threatened to inundate the coastal town.
after the announcement, the office was inundated with calls from concerned customers.
the researcher was inundated with data from the new satellite.