weatherman
Meaning
A person, especially on television or radio, who reports and forecasts the weather.
Structure
Usage
The weatherman predicted sunshine for the weekend, but it's been raining all day.
She became the first female weatherman at the local television station.
Everyone trusted the veteran weatherman's forecast for the coming storm.
Etymology
The compound "weatherman" is a transparent and relatively modern formation in English, built from two native Germanic roots. The first element, "weather," descends from the Old English weder, which itself traces back to the Proto-Germanic wedrą, meaning "weather" or "storm," and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root we-dhro-, meaning "to blow" or "to fan." The second element, "man," from Old English mann (person), is a common agentive suffix in English. The term's logic is straightforwardly literal: a "weather person." It emerged in the 20th century with the rise of broadcast media, where a specific individual was tasked with presenting meteorological information to the public, evolving from earlier, more general terms like "weather reporter" or "meteorologist" for popular usage.
Analysis
- weather: From Old English weder, meaning "air, sky, breeze, storm, weather." Its functional role is the core semantic element, specifying the subject matter. - man: From Old English mann, meaning "person, human being." Its functional role is an agent noun suffix, indicating a person associated with the preceding element.