source
UK[sɔːs]US[sɔːrs]
n
a place, person, or thing from which something originates or can be obtained
n
a spring or fountainhead from which a river or stream begins
v
obtain from a particular source
Etymology
The word 'source' entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'sourse', meaning "a rising, beginning, fountainhead of a river or stream." The Old French term derived from the feminine past participle of 'sourdre', "to rise, spring up," which itself originates from Latin 'surgere', meaning "to rise." This Latin verb is a contraction of 'subrigere', from 'sub-' (up from below) and 'regere' (to guide, keep straight). The core logic of the word has remained remarkably consistent, evolving from the literal concept of a water spring rising from the ground to the more abstract modern meaning of any point of origin or supply.
Analysis
The word 'source' is a simplex loanword from Old French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The journalist refused to reveal her confidential source.
The river's source is a small spring high in the mountains.
We need to source these materials from a more sustainable supplier.