recorder
UK[rɪˈkɔːdə]US[rɪˈkɔːrdər]
n
A device for converting sound, pictures, or data into a form that can be stored and played back later.
n
A person who keeps an official record of events or facts.
n
A simple woodwind instrument with a whistle mouthpiece and finger holes.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
cord
er
re
again
cord
heart, mind
er
agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'recorder' originates from the Latin verb 'recordari', meaning "to remember" or "to call to mind", which itself is built from 're-' (again) and 'cor' (heart, mind). The core concept is of bringing something back to one's heart or mind. In Middle English, 'recorder' initially referred to a person who kept official written records, preserving events for future memory. This sense of preservation was later applied to mechanical and electronic devices that capture sound or images, and also to a musical instrument that "records" or plays back a tune.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + cord (heart, mind) + er (agent suffix)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
cord: From Latin 'cor, cordis' (heart, mind), via Old French 'cuer' and Middle English 'corde'.
er: From Old English '-ere', an agent noun suffix indicating "one who does or works with".
Examples
I used a digital recorder to capture the lecture.
The town recorder maintains all the official birth and death certificates.
She learned to play Greensleeves on the descant recorder.