shipment
Meaning
the act of sending goods from one place to another
a load of goods that are sent from one place to another
Structure
Usage
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.
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
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)