privateer
UK[ˌpraɪvəˈtɪə(r)]US[ˌpraɪvəˈtɪr]
n
a privately owned armed ship that is authorized by a government to attack and capture enemy vessels during a war.
n
the commander or a crew member of such a ship.
Morpheme Breakdown
private
eer
private
withdrawn from public life, personal
eer
one who is concerned with or engaged in
Etymology
the word 'privateer' is a compound formed in the early 17th century from the adjective 'private' and the agent suffix '-eer'. the term 'private' originates from the latin 'privatus', the past participle of 'privare' meaning "to bereave, deprive, or release from public duties," which itself derives from the proto-indo-european root per-, signifying "to grant, allot." the suffix '-eer', entering english via french, denotes a person associated with a specific activity. thus, a 'privateer' literally means "a private person engaged in warfare," specifically one granted a private commission (a letter of marque) by a state to conduct naval raids against enemy commerce, distinguishing them from a state naval officer or a common pirate.
Analysis
Structure: private + eer
private (from latin 'privatus', meaning "withdrawn from public life, personal") + eer (agent noun suffix, from french '-ier', latin '-arius', meaning "one who is concerned with or engaged in").
Examples
the famous privateer sir francis drake amassed great wealth by capturing spanish treasure ships.
during the war of 1812, american privateers severely disrupted british merchant shipping.
the government issued letters of marque, legally authorizing the captain to operate as a privateer.