persecuted
UK[ˈpɜːsɪkjuːtɪd]US[ˈpɜːrsɪkjuːtɪd]
v
to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs
v
to deliberately annoy or upset someone by not leaving them alone
Morpheme Breakdown
per
secut
ed
per
through, thoroughly
secut
follow
ed
verb suffix, past tense/participle
Etymology
the word "persecuted" originates from the latin verb persequi, meaning "to pursue, follow with hostility, or prosecute". this verb is a compound of the prefix per-, intensifying the action to mean "thoroughly" or "to the end", and the root sequi, meaning "to follow". the literal sense of "following someone relentlessly" evolved in late latin and old french into the specific meaning of harassing or oppressing someone, especially for their beliefs. entering english via old french persecuter, it retained this sense of systematic, hostile pursuit, which is now its core abstract meaning.
Analysis
Structure: per (through, thoroughly) + secut (follow) + ed (verb suffix, past tense/participle)
- per: from latin, a prefix meaning "through, thoroughly, to destruction".
- secut: from latin root sequi (to follow), appearing here as secut-.
- ed: from old english, a suffix forming the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
throughout history, many religious minorities have been persecuted.
he claimed he was being persecuted by the media for his controversial views.
she felt persecuted by the constant phone calls from telemarketers.