total
total
UK[ˈtəʊtl]US[ˈtoʊtl]
adj
Complete, including everything or everyone.
adj
Being the final amount after everything is added together.
v
To reach a particular final number or amount.
n
The final number or amount of something when everything is added together.
Morpheme Breakdown
tot
al
tot
whole
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word "total" originates from the Medieval Latin term "totalis," meaning "entire" or "whole." This Latin form derives from "totus," a classical Latin word with the same meaning of completeness. The semantic journey is remarkably direct, with the core concept of "the whole amount" persisting from its ancient root into modern English. The suffix "-al" functions to transform the nominal root into an adjective, characterizing something as relating to the sum or entirety.
Analysis
Structure: tot (whole) + al (adjective suffix)
tot (Latin origin, meaning "whole" or "entire"); al (Latin adjectival suffix '-alis', indicating "of, relating to, or characterized by").
Examples
The total cost of the project exceeded the initial budget.
Please total the figures in the last column and write the sum here.
The fire caused a total loss of the warehouse and its contents.