novel
UK[ˈnɒv(ə)l]US[ˈnɑːv(ə)l]
n
A long written story about imaginary people and events
adj
New, original, and not like anything seen before
Morpheme Breakdown
nov
el
nov
new
el
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'novel' originates from the Latin adjective novus, meaning "new". It entered English via the Old Italian novella, a short story of something new, which itself came from the Latin novella, the neuter plural of novellus (meaning "new, young, recent"). The term was first used in English to describe short tales of new or fresh events, distinguishing them from traditional, established stories like romances. Over time, the meaning shifted from the quality of being "new" (retained in the adjective) to specifically denote a long prose narrative, a literary form that was itself a new development.
Analysis
Structure: nov (new) + el (adjective suffix)
'nov' is from Latin novus, meaning "new". '-el' is a diminutive or adjective-forming suffix from Latin -elis.
Examples
She stayed up all night to finish reading the gripping novel.
The scientist proposed a novel approach to solving the energy crisis.
His first novel was published to widespread critical acclaim.