role
UK[rəʊl]US[roʊl]
n
The function or position that someone or something has in a particular situation, system, or activity.
n
The character played by an actor in a play, film, etc.
Etymology
The word 'role' entered English in the early 17th century from the French word 'rôle', which originally meant 'a roll (of paper)'. This French term derived from the Old French 'rolle', itself from the Medieval Latin 'rotulus', meaning 'a roll of parchment or paper'. The semantic shift from a physical object to an abstract concept is fascinating: in medieval theater, an actor's part was written on a rolled scroll of paper. Thus, the physical 'roll' containing the text came to signify the part or character itself. This meaning was then generalized to any function or position one assumes in life, completing the journey from a concrete object to a modern abstract noun.
Analysis
The word 'role' is a simplex loanword from French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
She played a key role in the company's success.
He was offered the role of Hamlet in the new production.
Parents and teachers both have an important role in a child's education.