*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of morph

Back-formation from morpheme, from Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”). Compare German Morph, from Morphem. Attested since the 1940s.

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A recurrent distinctive sound or sequence of sounds representing an indivisible morphological form; especially as representing a morpheme. · An allomorph: one of a set of realizations that a morpheme can have in different contexts.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Back-formation from morpheme, from Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”). Compare German Morph, from Morphem. Attested since the 1940s.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "back-form",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "morpheme"
      },
      "expansion": "Back-formation from morpheme"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "μορφή",
        "t": "form, shape"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Morph"
      },
      "expansion": "German Morph"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "morpheme",
      "morpheme#English"
    ],
    [
      "μορφή",
      "μορφή#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "Morph",
      "Morph#German"
    ],
    [
      "Morphem",
      "Morphem#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A recurrent distinctive sound or sequence of sounds representing an indivisible morphological form; especially as representing a morpheme.",
        "An allomorph: one of a set of realizations that a morpheme can have in different contexts."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A variety of a species, distinguishable from other individuals of the species by morphology or behaviour.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Back-formation from morphism. Attested since the 1950s. See also morphology.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "morphism"
      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "morphism",
      "morphism#English"
    ],
    [
      "morphology",
      "morphology#English:_biology"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "A variety of a species, distinguishable from other individuals of the species by morphology or behaviour."
      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To change shape, from one form to another, through computer animation. · To shapeshift. · To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion.

noun

A computer-generated gradual change from one image to another.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of metamorphose.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "metamorphose",
      "metamorphose#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To change shape, from one form to another, through computer animation.",
        "To shapeshift.",
        "To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion."
      ],
      "tags": [
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

Morphine.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of morphine.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "morphine"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of morphine"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "morphine",
      "morphine#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Morphine."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang",
        "uncountable"
      ],
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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

A hermaphrodite, an intersex person.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of morphodite.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    }
  ],
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    [
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      "morphodite#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A hermaphrodite, an intersex person."
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for morph →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bW9ycGg