shipyard
UK[ˈʃɪpjɑːd]US[ˈʃɪpjɑːrd]
n
a place where ships are built or repaired.
Morpheme Breakdown
ship
yard
ship
yard
Etymology
the word 'shipyard' is a transparent compound formed from two old english roots. 'ship' (old english 'scip') has germanic origins, related to dutch 'schip' and german 'schiff', and its core meaning of a watercraft has remained remarkably stable. 'yard' (old english 'geard') originally referred to an enclosed area or court, a meaning preserved in words like 'courtyard' and 'farmyard'. the compound 'shipyard' logically combines these elements to denote an enclosed area or site dedicated to the construction and repair of ships, a meaning that emerged as english vocabulary expanded to describe specialized industrial locations.
Analysis
Structure: ship + yard
ship (from old english 'scip', meaning a large sea-going vessel; functional role: base noun). yard (from old english 'geard', meaning an enclosed area, a piece of ground; functional role: base noun).
Examples
the new aircraft carrier was constructed in a large naval shipyard.
he has worked at the local shipyard for over twenty years.
the old shipyard on the river has been converted into a waterfront museum.