reindeer
UK[ˈreɪndɪə(r)]US[ˈreɪndɪr]
n
a large deer with long antlers that lives in arctic and subarctic regions.
Morpheme Breakdown
rein
deer
rein
reindeer
deer
animal, beast
Etymology
the word "reindeer" is a compound formed from two distinct linguistic sources. the first element, "rein," is borrowed from old norse "hreinn," which specifically meant "reindeer." the second element is the english word "deer," which in old english ("dēor") had the broader meaning of "animal" or "wild beast." the compound thus essentially means "reindeer-animal." over time, the general english word "deer" narrowed in meaning to refer primarily to the cervid family, while the compound "reindeer" was retained specifically for the arctic species. this combination of a specific old norse term with a general old english term created a precise label for the animal in the english lexicon.
Analysis
Structure: rein + deer
rein (old norse, meaning "reindeer"); deer (old english, meaning "animal, beast")
Examples
santa claus's sleigh is famously pulled by flying reindeer.
the sami people have a long tradition of herding reindeer.
we saw a large herd of reindeer crossing the frozen tundra.