nymph
UK[nɪmf]US[nɪmf]
n
(in ancient Greek and Roman stories) a spirit of nature in the form of a beautiful young woman, living in rivers, trees, mountains, etc.
n
a young insect, especially one that does not change greatly in form before becoming an adult
Etymology
The word 'nymph' entered English in the late 14th century via Old French 'nimphe' and directly from Latin 'nympha', all meaning "a semi-divine maiden of the sea, woods, etc." These terms were borrowed from Greek 'nymphē', which originally signified "a young wife," "bride," or "marriageable maiden." The Greek term is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root sneubh-, meaning "to marry" or "to wed," which also influenced the development of the Latin 'nubere' (to marry). This etymological journey illustrates a fascinating semantic shift from a general term for a young woman or bride in the ancient world to a more specialized mythological concept of a beautiful, immortal nature spirit in classical and later folklore.
Analysis
The word 'nymph' is a simplex loanword from Greek. It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern English spelling.
Examples
According to the myth, the river god fell in love with a beautiful wood nymph.
The dragonfly nymph lives underwater for several years before emerging as an adult.
The artist's painting depicted a group of nymphs dancing in a moonlit forest glade.