Morpheme
Barnac(u)le [Barnacule, Barnacle]
Type
free base
Denotation
species of wild goose, marine crustacean that attaches to submerged surfaces
Etymology
Middle English bernak; of unknown origina; possibly from Old Northern French bernaque or bernac; possibly from Medieval Latin barneca; Gaulish *barinākā
Evidence
barnacle, barnacled, barnaclelike, barnacles, barnacling, barnacular, debarnacle
Notes
spelling influenced by -ac(u)le suffix
“goose” notion developed from folk stories that the goose barnacle is the larval form of the barnacle goose
