FRAGMENT

Examples of FRAGMENT in a sentence

FRAGMENT as a noun in a sentence

• The archaeologist carefully excavated each fragment of pottery, piecing together clues about ancient civilizations.
• She found a torn fragment of a letter in the attic, hinting at secrets from the past.
• The shattered vase lay in pieces, each fragment reflecting the beauty it once held.
• The detective collected fragments of evidence from the crime scene to reconstruct what happened.
• The historian discovered a fragment of a lost manuscript hidden in an old library archive.
• The artist arranged fragments of colored glass to create a stunning mosaic.
• The explosion sent fragments of debris flying in all directions, causing damage to nearby buildings.
• In literature, a fragment can be a standalone piece of writing or an incomplete part of a larger work.

FRAGMENT as a verb in a sentence

• The earthquake caused the ancient statue to fragment into pieces, leaving it irreparably damaged.
• Over time, the rock face began to fragment, creating loose debris that posed a danger to climbers.
• The force of the impact caused the car’s windshield to fragment into tiny shards of glass.
• The bomb blast fragmented the building, scattering debris over a wide area.
• Extreme temperatures can cause rocks to fragment, leading to rockfalls in mountainous areas.
• The artist deliberately fragmented the image to create a sense of disarray and chaos in the painting.
• The explosion fragmented the once-unified community into opposing factions, each with its own agenda.
• The committee’s inability to reach a consensus caused the proposal to fragment into competing versions.

Etymology of FRAGMENT

The term fragment has an etymological journey rooted in ancient languages and cultural evolution.

• Latin Origins: The word “fragment” traces its roots back to the Latin word “fragmentum,” which referred to a broken piece or fragment. In Latin, “fragmentum” was derived from the verb “frangere,” meaning “to break” or “to shatter.”
• Old French Influence: During the medieval period, Old French borrowed the Latin term “fragmentum,” retaining its meaning of a broken or shattered piece. In Old French, it became “fragment,” maintaining its association with something incomplete or disjointed.
• Middle English Adoption: As Old French influenced Middle English vocabulary, the term “fragment” entered the English language with a similar meaning of a small, incomplete part or piece of something larger. It became commonly used in literary and philosophical contexts to denote a portion of a whole.
• Modern Usage: In modern usage, “fragment” refers to a small part or portion of something larger, often implying incompleteness or separation from the whole. It is widely used in various fields, including literature, art, science, and technology, to describe broken or disconnected elements.
• Cultural Interpretations: Beyond its linguistic origins, the concept of fragmentation holds broader cultural significance, reflecting the human experience of impermanence, loss, and the passage of time. In literature and art, fragments may evoke themes of memory, identity, and the complexities of existence.

Through its evolution from Latin to Old French and its adoption into Middle English, the term fragment has come to symbolize the inherent nature of human experience and the complexity of the world around us, resonating across cultures and disciplines.

Synonyms

• Piece
• Shard
• Particle
• Portion
• Segment
• Section
• Bit
• Remnant

Antonyms

• Whole
• Entirety
• Totality
• Unity
• Completion
• Entire
• Fullness
• Solidity