milkman
UK[ˈmɪlkmən]US[ˈmɪlkmən]
n
a man whose job is to deliver milk to people's homes
Morpheme Breakdown
milk
man
milk
a white liquid food
man
an adult male human
Etymology
the word 'milkman' is a transparent compound formed from two old english roots. 'milk' derives from the proto-germanic meluks, which is itself likely from the proto-indo-european root h₂melǵ-, meaning 'to wipe' or 'to rub off', a reference to the act of milking. 'man' comes from proto-germanic mann-, meaning 'person' or 'adult male'. the compound 'milkman' emerged in english to denote a person, specifically a male, whose occupation involves the delivery or sale of milk. this straightforward combination of two elemental nouns perfectly illustrates the occupational naming pattern common in english, where the object of the work ('milk') is directly prefixed to the agent ('man').
Analysis
Structure: milk (a white liquid food) + man (an adult male human)
milk: from old english meoluc, milc, of germanic origin; the substance produced by female mammals to feed their young.
man: from old english mann, of germanic origin; an adult male human being.
Examples
the milkman leaves our order on the doorstep every morning before dawn.
with the decline of home delivery, the traditional milkman has become a rare sight in many neighborhoods.
he worked as a milkman for over thirty years, knowing all his customers by name.