observation
UK[ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃn]US[ˌɑːbzərˈveɪʃn]
n
the act of watching somebody/something carefully for a period of time, especially to learn something
n
a comment or remark based on something you have seen, heard, or thought
Morpheme Breakdown
observe
ation
observe
to watch
ation
Etymology
The word 'observation' originates from the Latin verb observare, meaning "to watch over, heed, or comply with." This verb itself is a compound of ob- (meaning "in front of, toward") and servare (meaning "to watch, keep safe"). The suffix -ation was added through French and Middle English to form a noun indicating the action or result of observing. Thus, the literal sense of "watching over" evolved into the modern abstract meanings of careful scientific scrutiny and the insightful remarks derived from such scrutiny.
Analysis
Structure: observe + ation
- observe: From Latin observare (to watch, heed, comply with). The functional role is the core verb root meaning "to watch".
- ation: A suffix of Latin origin (-ationem), forming nouns of action or state from verbs. Its functional role is to transform the verb into a noun denoting the process or result of the action.
Examples
The patient is under observation in the hospital.
Her keen observation of human behavior made her a great novelist.
He concluded his report with an interesting observation about market trends.