junk
UK[dʒʌŋk]US[dʒʌŋk]
n
old or discarded objects that are considered useless or of little value.
n
a type of chinese sailing ship with a flat bottom and square sails.
v
to discard or abandon as useless.
Etymology
the word 'junk' presents a fascinating etymological journey. its primary modern meaning originates from middle english 'jonke', referring to old rope or discarded material on a ship. this likely derives from old french 'junc', meaning 'rush' or 'reed', which itself came from latin 'juncus'. the semantic shift from 'reed' to 'discarded ship material' and finally to 'worthless stuff' is a clear example of meaning evolution based on context and use. intriguingly, the term for the chinese ship is etymologically distinct, coming from javanese 'jong' or malay 'ajong', and entered english via portuguese 'junco', demonstrating how identical spellings can arise from completely different linguistic paths.
Analysis
this word is considered a simplex loanword. it does not have separable morphemes within its modern english spelling that carry distinct, analyzable meanings.
Examples
the attic was full of old junk that nobody wanted.
we need to junk these broken computers and get new ones.
a traditional junk sailed gracefully into the harbor.