outsource
UK[ˌaʊtˈsɔːs]US[ˈaʊtsɔːrs]
v
to arrange for work to be done by people from outside your company or organization, rather than by your own employees
v
to obtain goods or services from an outside supplier, especially in place of an internal source
Morpheme Breakdown
out
source
out
source
Etymology
the verb 'outsource' is a modern english compound, formed in the late 20th century from the adverb/prefix 'out' and the noun 'source'. the word 'out' originates from proto-germanic ūt, meaning "out," and 'source' derives from old french sourse, meaning "a rising, beginning, fountainhead," which itself comes from latin surgere, "to rise." the literal, morphemic logic is "to seek the source outside." this directly reflects the business practice it describes: moving the source of labor, goods, or services from inside an organization to an external provider. the term encapsulates the late-20th-century corporate trend of focusing on core competencies by contracting out non-essential functions.
Analysis
Structure: out + source
- out (old english): a preposition/adverb meaning "outside, outward, away." in this compound, it functions as a prefix indicating "external, outside of."
- source (old french, from latin): the noun meaning "origin, point of supply." in this compound, it functions as the core noun element, representing the provider.
Examples
the company decided to outsource its customer service department to a specialized firm.
many software developers outsource specific coding tasks to freelancers.
to cut costs, the manufacturer outsourced the production of components.