item
UK[ˈaɪ.təm]US[ˈaɪ.t̬əm]
n
A single thing, especially one of several things in a list, group, or set.
n
A piece of news, information, or a report.
Etymology
The word 'item' entered English in the late 14th century from Latin, where it was an adverb meaning 'also', 'likewise', or 'in the same manner'. This Latin adverb was used in medieval lists and documents to introduce each new article or particular, functioning much like a modern bullet point. Over time, the introductory word itself was reinterpreted as the noun for the thing being listed. The semantic shift moved from the connecting word ('also') to the entity being connected, resulting in its current meaning of a single, distinct unit within a series or collection.
Analysis
The word 'item' is a simplex loanword from Latin. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
Please check each item on the list before you submit the form.
The most interesting item on the agenda was the new marketing strategy.
She saw a brief item about the accident in the local newspaper.