ornamental
UK[ˌɔːnəˈment(ə)l]US[ˌɔːrnəˈment(ə)l]
adj
serving or intended as an ornament; decorative.
n
a plant grown for its attractive appearance.
Morpheme Breakdown
ornament
al
ornament
decoration
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'ornamental' is built upon the latin root ornare, meaning 'to equip, adorn, or furnish'. this verb itself is thought to derive from the proto-indo-european root h₃er-, which conveyed the sense of 'to fit, arrange, or set in order'. the latin noun ornamentum evolved from this, signifying the apparatus or embellishment that results from such arranging. by adding the adjectival suffix -alis, the word 'ornamental' was formed, directly characterizing something as being 'of or pertaining to decoration', a meaning that has remained stable from its latin origins into modern english.
Analysis
Structure: ornament (decoration) + al (adjective suffix)
ornament (from latin ornamentum, meaning 'equipment, adornment', from ornare 'to equip, adorn'); al (latin adjectival suffix -alis, indicating 'of, relating to, or characterized by').
Examples
the garden features several ornamental cherry trees.
the gate is purely ornamental and does not actually lock.
she specializes in growing rare ornamentals for botanical gardens.