obituary
UK[əˈbɪtʃ.u.ə.ri]US[oʊˈbɪtʃ.u.er.i]
n
A notice of a person's death, often with a brief biography, published in a newspaper or read at a funeral service.
Morpheme Breakdown
obit
uary
obit
death
uary
pertaining to
Etymology
The word 'obituary' has a journey that begins with the literal Latin concept of departure. It originates from the Latin verb obire, meaning "to go toward" or "to meet," which was a euphemism for dying, conceptualized as "going to meet one's fate." The noun obitus derived from this verb meant "a going down" or "death." This root entered English via Medieval Latin obituarius, meaning "a record of death." The modern English form 'obituary' retains the core sense of the root 'obit' (death) combined with the relational suffix '-uary,' thus creating a term that specifically denotes a written account pertaining to a death.
Analysis
Structure: obit (death) + uary (pertaining to)
- obit: From Latin obitus (a going down, a meeting, death), from obire (to go to meet, to die). The root 'ob-' means "toward, against" and '-ire' is the verb "to go." In this word, it functions as the core root meaning "death."
- uary: A suffix forming adjectives and nouns, from Latin -uarius (pertaining to, connected with). It indicates something relating to or characterized by the root.
Examples
The local newspaper published a moving obituary for the community leader.
She wrote her own obituary as part of her final instructions.
I only learned of his passing when I came across his obituary online.