mistake
UK[mɪˈsteɪk]US[mɪˈsteɪk]
n
something that is not correct; a wrong action, statement, or judgment.
v
to be wrong about or to fail to recognize something or someone.
Morpheme Breakdown
mis
take
mis
badly, wrongly
take
grasp, seize
Etymology
the word "mistake" is a compound formed from two native english elements. the prefix "mis-" carries a sense of error or fault, a meaning it has held since its old english roots. the verb "take," from old english "tacan," originally meant to physically lay hold of something. by the late 13th century, these elements combined to form the verb "mistaken," literally meaning "to take wrongly or in error." this concrete sense of taking the wrong thing evolved into the modern abstract meanings of misunderstanding, misjudging, or making an error. the noun form, denoting the error itself, developed naturally from this verbal action.
Analysis
Structure: mis (badly, wrongly) + take (grasp, seize)
mis- is a prefix of Germanic origin (Old English mis-) meaning "badly, wrongly, incorrectly." take is a verb of Old English origin (tacan) meaning "to grasp, seize, get into one's possession."
Examples
i made a silly mistake in my calculations.
it would be a mistake to ignore his advice.
i often mistake her for her twin sister.