youth
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Meaning
the period of life when someone is young, especially the time before a child becomes an adult
the quality or state of being young
young people considered as a group
Usage
she spent her youth in the countryside.
he has the energy and enthusiasm of youth.
the nation's youth are facing a challenging job market.
Etymology
The word 'youth' originates from the Old English 'geoguth', which itself evolved from the Proto-Germanic 'jugunth-'. This Proto-Germanic term is a derivative of 'juga-', meaning 'young', a root that can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European 'h₂yuh₁en-', also signifying youth and vigor. The semantic core of 'young age' has remained remarkably stable throughout its journey into Modern English. The modern spelling and pronunciation were shaped by regular sound changes, including the loss of the initial 'g' and the simplification of the ending, solidifying its current form as a unified lexical item.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form derived from a single, tight Germanic root. It is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in Modern English.