treetop
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Meaning
the highest part of a tree, where the branches and leaves are.
Structure
Usage
the children built a small hut in the treetop.
sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the treetops.
a rare bird was spotted nesting in the highest treetop.
Etymology
The word "treetop" is a transparent English compound, formed by directly combining two Old English nouns. "tree" (trēow) referred broadly to a tree or wood, while "top" (topp) meant the summit or tuft of hair. The compound logically denotes the uppermost part of a tree. This pattern of creating new words by joining two existing nouns is a common and productive feature of the Germanic languages. The meaning has remained literal and concrete from its formation to modern usage.
Analysis
"tree" originates from old english "trēow", of germanic origin. "top" originates from old english "topp", also of germanic origin. both are free morphemes that combine to form a compound noun.