octogenarian
UK[ˌɒktədʒəˈneəriən]US[ˌɑːktədʒəˈneriən]
n
A person who is between 80 and 89 years old.
Morpheme Breakdown
octo
gen
arian
octo
eight
gen
birth, age
arian
person associated with
Etymology
The word 'octogenarian' is a modern English formation built from classical Latin elements to precisely denote age. The prefix 'octo-' directly signifies the number eight, anchoring the term in the eighth decade of life. This combines with '-gen-', a root relating to birth and generation, which here extends to signify the span of years or age. Finally, the suffix '-arian' specifies a person characterized by this condition. Thus, the term logically constructs the meaning "a person of the eighth age-group (decade)" from its constituent parts, following a clear and learned pattern similar to 'sexagenarian' or 'nonagenarian'.
Analysis
Structure: octo (eight) + gen (birth, age) + arian (person associated with)
octo: From Latin octō, meaning "eight". A numeral prefix.
gen: From Latin gen- (root of genus "birth, race, kind"), related to growing or age.
arian: A suffix from Latin -ārius, denoting "a person connected with or belonging to".
Examples
My great-aunt, a sprightly octogenarian, still tends her own garden.
The study focused on the dietary habits of healthy octogenarians.
He became an published author for the first time as an octogenarian.