manger
UK[ˈmeɪn(d)ʒə]US[ˈmeɪndʒər]
n
a long open box or trough in a stable or barn from which horses or cattle eat.
Etymology
The word 'manger' entered English in the 14th century from Anglo-Norman mangeure, meaning 'a feeding trough'. This, in turn, derived from Old French mangier, meaning 'to eat', which has its roots in the Latin verb manducare, 'to chew' or 'to eat'. The journey from the action of eating to the object used for holding food is a clear semantic shift. The term is famously associated with the Nativity story, where the infant Jesus was laid in a manger, cementing its specific meaning in English as a feeding trough for livestock.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Anglo-Norman. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into productive morphemes within modern English spelling.
Examples
The farmer filled the wooden manger with fresh hay for the horses.
In the stable, each stall was equipped with its own water bucket and manger.
The Christmas pageant featured a child playing the role of baby Jesus in a manger.