ninth-largest
UK[ˌnaɪnθ ˈlɑːdʒɪst]US[ˌnaɪnθ ˈlɑːrdʒɪst]
adj
being the next after the eighth in a ranking based on size, amount, or degree
Morpheme Breakdown
ninth
largest
ninth
largest
Etymology
the compound "ninth-largest" is a modern english formation that combines the ordinal number "ninth" with the superlative adjective "largest." "ninth" originates from proto-germanic newunþô, derived from the cardinal number newun (nine), which has proto-indo-european roots in h₁néwn̥. "large" entered english from old french, tracing back to latin largus meaning "abundant, copious." the superlative suffix "-est" is a native english development from proto-germanic -istaz. the logic of the compound is purely syntactic, creating a precise ordinal-superlative ranking term used primarily in statistical and comparative contexts, such as describing the position of a country in a list ordered by area or population.
Analysis
Structure: ninth + largest
- ninth: from old english 'nigotha', related to the number nine. functions as an ordinal number in the compound.
- largest: from old english 'lærg', of germanic origin, with the superlative suffix '-est'. functions as the superlative form of 'large' in the compound.
Examples
it is the ninth-largest economy in the world by nominal gdp.
the company became the ninth-largest employer in the state after its recent expansion.
by land area, the country ranks as the ninth-largest on the continent.