montage
UK[mɒnˈtɑːʒ]US[mɑːnˈtɑːʒ]
n
The process or technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together separate sections of film, photographs, music, or text to form a continuous whole.
n
A sequence of film, music, or text constructed using such a technique.
Morpheme Breakdown
mont
age
mont
mountain, heap
age
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'montage' entered English from French in the early 20th century, specifically from the film industry. Its French source derives from the verb monter, meaning "to mount" or "to assemble," which itself originates from the Latin montare, "to climb" or "to go up," a verb related to mons (mountain). The conceptual link is vivid: just as materials are piled up to form a mountain, individual film clips, images, or sounds are assembled and layered to create a composite sequence. Thus, the literal sense of "mountain-making" evolved into the modern abstract meaning of artistic assembly and juxtaposition.
Analysis
Structure: mont (mountain, heap) + age (noun suffix)
'mont' is from Latin mont-, the stem of mons meaning "mountain." 'age' is a noun-forming suffix from Latin -aticum, denoting a related action, process, or result.
Examples
The documentary used a powerful montage of historical footage to illustrate the passage of time.
She created a digital montage combining family photos and landscape paintings.
The opening montage of the film sets the tone for the entire story.