parenthesis
UK[pəˈrenθəsɪs]US[pəˈrenθəsɪs]
n
a word, phrase, or sentence that is added to a sentence, usually to give extra information, and is separated from the main part of the sentence by commas, brackets, or dashes
n
either of a pair of marks ( ) used to enclose such a word, phrase, or sentence
Morpheme Breakdown
para
en
thesis
para
beside
en
in
thesis
placing
Etymology
The word 'parenthesis' has a direct lineage from Greek, entering English via Latin and French. It originates from the Greek 'parentithenai', meaning 'to put in beside', which is a compound of 'para-' (beside) and 'en-' (in) plus 'tithenai' (to put, to place). This literal sense of 'putting in beside' perfectly captures the grammatical function: an explanatory or qualifying remark inserted ('put in beside') into a main sentence. The modern meaning evolved from the rhetorical act of insertion to denote both the inserted material itself and, by metonymy, the paired punctuation marks that set it off from the surrounding text.
Analysis
Structure: para (beside) + en (in) + thesis (placing)
para- (prefix of Greek origin meaning 'beside, alongside, beyond'); en- (prefix of Greek origin meaning 'in, into'); thesis (noun-forming element from Greek, meaning 'a placing, setting down, proposition').
Examples
the information about her degree, which she earned last year, was included in parenthesis.
always remember to close the parenthesis after opening one in your code.
his final remark was a humorous parenthesis to an otherwise serious speech.