separate
UK[ˈsepəreɪt]US[ˈsepəreɪt]
v
to move, set, or keep apart; to stop being together or connected.
adj
forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself; not joined, united, or combined.
n
(often separates) individual items of clothing, such as skirts, blouses, and trousers, designed to be worn in various combinations.
Morpheme Breakdown
se
par
ate
se
apart
par
prepare, arrange
ate
verb/adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'separate' originates from the latin verb 'separare', meaning 'to pull apart, detach, or divide'. this latin term is a compound of the prefix 'se-', denoting 'apart', and the verb 'parare', meaning 'to prepare or arrange'. the core logic is thus one of arranging or setting things apart from each other. entering english in the late middle english period via latin, the word retained this fundamental sense of creating division or distinction between entities, which evolved to cover both the physical act of dividing and the state of being distinct or individual.
Analysis
Structure: se (apart) + par (prepare, arrange) + ate (verb/adjective suffix)
'se-' is a latin prefix meaning 'apart, away'. 'par' is from the latin root 'parare', meaning 'to prepare, make ready, arrange'. '-ate' is a latin suffix used to form verbs and adjectives.
Examples
please separate the white clothes from the colored ones before washing.
they have lived in separate houses since their divorce.
the garage is separate from the main house.