The word "discontinued" has an interesting spelling due to its combination of prefixes and a base word. The first syllable, "dis-", is pronounced /dɪs/ and means "not", the second syllable "-con-" is pronounced /kɒn/ and is from the Latin word "con", meaning "together". The third syllable, "-tin-", is pronounced /tɪn/ and is from the Latin word "tenere", which means "to hold". The final syllable, "-ued", is pronounced /juːd/ and comes from the Old French word "ues", meaning "carried on". Altogether, the word means "stopped being carried on or held together".
Discontinued is an adjective that refers to something that has been stopped, ended, or no longer available for production, distribution, or sale. It describes a product, service, or activity that has been discontinued due to reasons such as poor sales, changes in market demand, advances in technology, or strategic business decisions.
When a product is discontinued, it means that the manufacturer or company has decided to cease its production and remove it from the market. This can happen for various reasons, such as when a newer version or model of the product is introduced, or when it becomes obsolete or unprofitable.
Similarly, services or activities can also be discontinued when they are deemed no longer necessary, relevant, or financially viable. For example, a company might discontinue a particular service or feature on their website if it is not being used by customers or if it is not generating enough revenue.
When a product, service, or activity is discontinued, it becomes increasingly difficult to find or obtain, as it is no longer being produced, distributed, or supported by the manufacturer or provider. However, discontinued items may still be available through secondary markets, including used or vintage sellers.
Overall, discontinued refers to the action or state of ceasing, ending, or discontinuing something, whether it be a product, service, or activity.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "discontinued" is derived from the verb "discontinue", which originated in Middle English from the Latin word "discontinuare". "Discontinuare" is derived from the prefix "dis-" meaning "apart" or "away", and the Latin word "continuare" meaning "to continue" or "to make continuous". Therefore, "discontinue" essentially means to put an end to something or to cease its continuity. By adding the suffix "-ed" to "discontinue", we form the past participle form "discontinued", which is commonly used as an adjective to describe something that has been stopped or ended.