register
UK[ˈredʒ.ɪ.stər]US[ˈredʒ.ɪ.stər]
v
to put your name and other information on an official list in order to be allowed to vote, study, stay in a hotel, etc.
v
to show or express a feeling or opinion
v
(of a measuring instrument) to record or show a particular amount or level
n
an official list or record of names, items, or events
n
the range of a human voice or a musical instrument
Morpheme Breakdown
re
gister
re
again
gister
carry, bear
Etymology
The word 'register' entered English in the late 14th century via Old French registre and Medieval Latin regestrum, registrum, meaning "a record, a list". Its ultimate source is the Latin verb regerere, meaning "to record, to transcribe", which is a compound of re- ("back, again") and gerere ("to carry, bear, conduct"). The literal sense was "to bring back" or "to carry (information) back" for recording. This evolved into the abstract concept of entering information into an official record. The semantic logic flows from the physical act of carrying information back for safekeeping to the modern acts of enrolling on a list, recording data, or a measuring instrument showing a value.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + gister (carry, bear)
- re: Latin prefix meaning "again, back".
- gister: From Latin gerere (to carry, bear, conduct), via its frequentative form gestare (to carry about) and its past participle stem gest-.
Examples
You must register to vote at your local council office.
Her face registered surprise when she heard the news.
The earthquake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale.