shipment
UK[ˈʃɪpmənt]US[ˈʃɪpmənt]
n
the act of sending goods from one place to another
n
a load of goods that are sent from one place to another
Morpheme Breakdown
ship
ment
ship
to send
ment
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'shipment' is a modern english compound formed from the verb 'ship' and the noun suffix '-ment'. the verb 'ship' originates from old english 'scipian', meaning 'to send by ship', which itself is derived from 'scip', the old english word for 'ship'. the suffix '-ment' entered english from old french, tracing back to the latin '-mentum', a suffix used to form nouns denoting an action or its result. therefore, 'shipment' literally means 'the action or result of sending', a meaning that has broadened from its original nautical context to encompass the dispatch of goods by any means of transport.
Analysis
Structure: ship (to send) + ment (noun suffix)
ship (from old english 'scipian', meaning 'to send by ship', functional role: verb root); ment (from latin '-mentum' via old french, indicating an action, process, or resulting state, functional role: noun-forming suffix)
Examples
the shipment of medical supplies arrived at the port this morning.
we are expecting a large shipment of new books next week.
there was a delay in the shipment due to bad weather.