millionaire
UK[ˌmɪljəˈneə(r)]US[ˌmɪljəˈner]
n
a person whose wealth amounts to a million or more in units of currency (such as dollars, pounds, or euros).
Morpheme Breakdown
million
aire
million
a great thousand,
aire
Etymology
the word 'millionaire' is a relatively modern formation, entering english in the early 19th century from french 'millionnaire'. its core component, 'million', traces back to italian 'milione', an augmentative of 'mille' (thousand), literally meaning "a great thousand." the suffix '-aire', of latin origin via french, is used to form nouns indicating a person connected to a specific thing or quality. thus, the literal construction "person associated with a million" directly and logically evolved into its modern abstract meaning denoting an individual possessing wealth quantified in the millions.
Analysis
Structure: million + aire
- million: from italian 'milione', from old italian 'millione', meaning "a great thousand," ultimately from latin 'mille' (thousand). functions as the numerical base.
- aire: from french suffix '-aire', from latin '-arius', denoting a person associated with or characterized by something. functions as an agent suffix.
Examples
the young entrepreneur became a millionaire before the age of thirty.
the novel explores the lonely life of a reclusive millionaire.
she donated a significant portion of her fortune, proving she was a philanthropist as well as a millionaire.