plan
UK[plæn]US[plæn]
n
A detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.
n
An intention or decision about what one is going to do.
v
To decide on and arrange in advance.
v
To make a detailed drawing or diagram of something.
Etymology
The word 'plan' entered English in the late 17th century from French, where it originally denoted a technical drawing of a building on a flat surface. This French term traces back to the Latin noun 'plānum', meaning "a level or flat area," which is the neuter form of the adjective 'plānus' (flat, level, plain). The conceptual evolution is elegantly logical: from the physical notion of a flat, two-dimensional drawing or map, the meaning extended metaphorically to any detailed, two-dimensional scheme or method laid out in advance. This Latin root 'plānus' itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root pele-, meaning "flat, to spread," connecting it to a family of words concerning flatness, such as 'plain', 'plane', and 'plate'.
Analysis
The word 'plan' is a simplex word borrowed from French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling. Its origin is the French word 'plan', meaning a map or a ground plan, which itself derives from the Latin 'plānum', meaning a level or flat surface.
Examples
The architect presented the building plan to the committee.
We need to make a plan for the upcoming project.
She plans to travel abroad after graduation.