weakened
Meaning
Made or become less strong or powerful.
To make or become weak.
Structure
Usage
The patient's immune system was severely weakened after the treatment.
The storm weakened as it moved inland, dropping from a hurricane to a tropical storm.
His argument was weakened by the lack of credible evidence.
Etymology
The word 'weakened' is built upon the Old English adjective wāc, which conveyed a sense of being pliant, yielding, or lacking strength. This root is part of a wider Germanic family. The addition of the verb-forming suffix '-en', also of Old English origin, transforms the adjective into the verb 'weaken', meaning "to make or become weak". Finally, the regular past tense and participial suffix '-ed' is appended, resulting in a word that describes the state of having been made less strong, either physically, in intensity, or in power. The semantic journey is direct, moving from a concrete description of physical pliancy to a broad concept of diminished force or vigor.
Analysis
- weak: From Old English wāc (pliant, yielding, weak), of Germanic origin. Functions as the core adjective root. - en: A verb-forming suffix of Germanic origin, from Old English -nian, used to form verbs meaning "to make or become". - ed: A suffix of Germanic origin, from Old English -od, -ad, used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.