memory
UK[ˈmeməri]US[ˈmeməri]
n
The ability of the mind to store and recall information or past experiences.
n
Something remembered from the past; a recollection.
n
The part of a computer in which data or program instructions can be stored and retrieved.
Morpheme Breakdown
memor
y
memor
mindful
y
state or condition
Etymology
The word 'memory' traces its lineage to the Latin memoria, meaning 'faculty of remembering, remembrance'. This Latin term itself derives from the root memor-, meaning 'mindful'. This root is further connected to the Proto-Indo-European (s)mer-, which signifies 'to remember, care for'. The conceptual journey is direct: from the ancient sense of being mindful or holding something in one's care, the word evolved to denote the abstract faculty of retaining and recalling information. The suffix '-y' concretizes this faculty into a noun describing the state or capacity of remembering.
Analysis
Structure: memor (mindful) + y (state or condition)
'memor' originates from Latin memor, meaning 'mindful, remembering'. The suffix '-y' comes from Latin -ia or Greek -ia, denoting a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
She has a remarkable memory for names and faces.
My earliest memory is of learning to ride a bicycle.
The application requires a lot of memory to run smoothly.