offence
UK[əˈfens]US[əˈfens]
n
an illegal act; a crime
n
the act of causing anger, upset, or displeasure
n
(in sports) the team or players who are trying to score points
Morpheme Breakdown
of
fenc
e
of
against, toward, in the way of
fenc
e
Etymology
the word 'offence' entered english in the late 14th century via old french 'offense', meaning 'injury, wrong, crime', which itself derived from latin 'offensa' (a striking against, an injury, displeasure). the latin term is the feminine past participle of 'offendere', meaning 'to strike against, to displease'. this verb is composed of the prefix 'ob-' (against) and 'fendere' (to strike). the core logic of striking or hitting evolved from a physical sense to metaphorical ones: first, the act of violating a law (striking against the rules), then to causing displeasure (striking against someone's feelings). the silent 'e' is a vestige of its romance language journey into middle english spelling conventions.
Analysis
Structure: of + fenc + e
- of: from latin prefix 'ob-', meaning 'against, toward, in the way of'. functional role: directional/oppositional prefix.
- fenc: from latin root 'fendere' (to strike, hit). functional role: core root conveying the sense of striking or hitting.
- e: a common silent vowel ending in english spelling, often from latin or french influence. functional role: orthographic suffix.
Examples
he was charged with a serious criminal offence.
i hope my comment did not cause any offence.
the team's offence was unstoppable during the second half of the game.