segregated
UK[ˈseɡrɪɡeɪtɪd]US[ˈseɡrɪɡeɪtɪd]
adj
Kept apart or separated from others, especially on the basis of race, sex, religion, or other characteristics.
adj
(Of a place or institution) having policies that enforce such separation.
Morpheme Breakdown
se
greg
ated
se
apart
greg
flock, herd
ated
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'segregated' originates from the Latin verb segregare, meaning "to separate from the flock." This verb itself is a compound of the prefix se- ("apart") and the root grex ("flock" or "herd"). The core logic is vividly pastoral: to remove an individual animal from the collective group. This literal sense of physical separation evolved in English to describe the enforced separation of people within social institutions. The modern abstract meaning retains this foundational idea of setting apart, but specifically connotes a systematic, often discriminatory, division based on group identity.
Analysis
Structure: se (apart) + greg (flock, herd) + ated (adjective suffix)
- se: A Latin prefix meaning "apart, away, without."
- greg: A Latin root (from grex, gregis) meaning "flock, herd, group."
- ated: A suffix forming adjectives from past participles of Latin-derived verbs, indicating a state or condition.
Examples
The schools in the city were racially segregated for decades.
They protested against the segregated seating on the buses.
The laboratory has a segregated area for handling hazardous materials.