nonagenarian
UK[ˌnəʊnədʒəˈneəriən]US[ˌnoʊnədʒəˈneriən]
n
a person who is between 90 and 99 years old.
adj
relating to a person in their nineties.
Morpheme Breakdown
nona
gen
arian
nona
ninety
gen
years
arian
person associated with
Etymology
the word 'nonagenarian' is a modern english formation built directly from classical latin elements. it combines 'nōnāgintā', the latin word for ninety, with the suffix '-gēnārius', which denotes a number of years, and the agent suffix '-ārius', indicating a person. the suffix '-gēnārius' itself derives from 'gēnus', meaning birth or race, linking the concept to a span of time or a generation. thus, the term's literal construction, "a person of ninety years," logically and precisely defines an individual in the tenth decade of life.
Analysis
Structure: nona (ninety) + gen (years) + arian (person associated with)
nona (from latin 'nōnāgintā', meaning ninety); gen (from latin 'gēnārius', an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'containing a certain number', from 'gēnus' meaning birth, race, kind); arian (from latin '-ārius', a suffix forming nouns denoting a person concerned with or belonging to something).
Examples
my great-grandmother became a sprightly nonagenarian last year.
the study focused on the health profiles of nonagenarian participants.
he published his first novel as a nonagenarian, inspiring many.