newspeople
UK[ˈnjuːzˌpiːp(ə)l]US[ˈnuːzˌpiːp(ə)l]
n
Journalists and reporters, especially those working for television or radio.
Morpheme Breakdown
news
people
news
new information
people
persons
Etymology
The compound "newspeople" is a modern, transparent formation in English. Its first element, "news," originates from the plural of "new," reflecting the concept of "new things" or reports. This term evolved from Old English, tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root néwos, meaning "new." The second element, "people," entered English via French from Latin "populus," meaning a body of persons. The compound logically combines these elements to denote "people who work with news," specifically referring to journalists and broadcasters as a professional collective, a meaning that solidified with the rise of electronic media in the 20th century.
Analysis
Structure: news (new information) + people (persons)
- news: From Middle English 'newes', a plural of 'newe' (new thing). Origin: Old English 'nīwe', from Proto-Germanic niwjaz, from Proto-Indo-European néwos. Functional role: The core concept or subject matter.
- people: From Middle English 'peple', from Anglo-Norman French 'people', from Latin 'populus' (the people, a nation). Functional role: Denotes the collective group of individuals involved.
Examples
Several experienced newspeople were assigned to cover the election.
The network relies on its newspeople to deliver accurate reports from around the globe.
Young aspiring newspeople often start their careers in local radio stations.