nineteenth-century
UK[ˌnaɪnˈtiːnθ ˈsen.tʃər.i]US[ˌnaɪnˈtiːnθ ˈsen.tʃər.i]
adj
relating to the period from 1801 to 1900.
Morpheme Breakdown
nineteenth
century
nineteenth
ordinal number
century
period of 100 years
Etymology
the compound "nineteenth-century" is a modern english formation that combines a germanic-derived ordinal number with a latin-derived time unit. "nineteenth" evolved from old english "nigontiene," a fusion of the words for "nine" and "ten," with the ordinal suffix "-th" denoting position in a sequence. "century" entered english via old french "centurie," from latin "centuria," which originally referred to a division of one hundred men in the roman army but later generalized to mean a period of one hundred years. the logic of the compound is transparently chronological, literally denoting "of or pertaining to the hundred-year period numbered nineteen," a convention established from the calculation of centuries from the year 1 ce.
Analysis
Structure: nineteenth (ordinal number) + century (period of 100 years)
- nineteenth: from old english 'nigontiene' (nine and ten) + the ordinal suffix '-th' (from old english '-þa, -þe'). origin: germanic.
- century: from latin 'centuria', meaning 'a group of one hundred', from 'centum' (hundred). origin: latin via french.
Examples
the novel provides a vivid portrait of nineteenth-century london.
nineteenth-century industrial advancements transformed society.
her research focuses on nineteenth-century art movements.