photocopied
UK[ˈfəʊtəʊˌkɒpɪd]US[ˈfoʊt̬oʊˌkɑːpid]
v
Produced a copy of a document or image using a machine that uses light and electricity.
v
Copied something quickly or in large quantities using a photocopier.
Morpheme Breakdown
photo
copy
ed
photo
light
copy
reproduce
ed
past tense suffix
Etymology
The word 'photocopy' is a modern compound, fusing the Greek-derived element 'photo-' (light) with the Latin-derived word 'copy'. The logic is transparent: a photocopier is a machine that uses light (specifically, xerography involves electrostatic charges and light) to produce a reproduction. The '-ed' suffix is the standard English inflection for the simple past tense and past participle of regular verbs, transforming the noun/verb 'photocopy' into its past form 'photocopied', denoting the completed action of making such a reproduction.
Analysis
Structure: photo (light) + copy (reproduce) + ed (past tense suffix)
- photo: From Greek 'phōs, phōt-', meaning "light". In English, it functions as a combining form relating to light or photography.
- copy: From Latin 'copia', meaning "abundance, transcript". In English, it functions as a root meaning a reproduction or duplicate.
- ed: From Old English '-ede, -ode, -ade', a past tense suffix for weak verbs.
Examples
She photocopied the report for all the committee members.
The archived newspaper articles were carefully photocopied to preserve the originals.
He realized he had photocopied the wrong set of pages just before the meeting.