same-size
Meaning
Having the same dimensions or measurements.
Being of identical size.
Structure
Usage
The manufacturer guarantees that all replacement parts are same-size with the originals.
For the experiment, we used two same-size containers filled with different liquids.
The puzzle requires you to match same-size shapes together.
Etymology
The compound adjective 'same-size' is a transparent combination of two English words of distinct origins. 'Same' is a native Germanic word, traceable to Proto-Germanic samaz, carrying the enduring sense of "identical" or "unaltered." 'Size' entered English via the Norman French legal term assise, which denoted an ordinance or fixed standard, deriving from the Latin verb assidēre ("to sit beside," hence to settle or fix). Over centuries, 'size' shed its legal context and narrowed to refer specifically to fixed dimensions or magnitude. The logic of the compound is perfectly literal: it directly describes objects that share an identical fixed standard of measurement, merging a Germanic concept of sameness with a Romance-derived concept of dimensional standard.
Analysis
- same: From Old English same, meaning "identical, not different." Of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse samr and Gothic sama. Functions as an adjective in this compound. - size: From Old French sise, a shortening of assise ("session, regulation, fixed position"), ultimately from Latin assidēre ("to sit beside"). In English, it evolved to mean "a fixed standard or dimension." Functions as a noun in this compound.