wreckage
UK: ˈrekɪdʒ | US: ˈrekɪdʒ
n. the remains of something that has been severely damaged or destroyed
n. the act or process of wrecking or the state of being wrecked
The word "wreckage" combines "wreck," derived from Old Norse wrek (meaning "wreck, flotsam"), with the suffix "-age," borrowed from Old French -age, which denotes a result or collective state. Originally, "wreck" referred to goods cast ashore after a shipwreck, later expanding to mean any ruined structure. The suffix "-age" systematically transforms verbs or nouns into terms describing outcomes (e.g., "breakage," "marriage"). Thus, "wreckage" literally means "the state or result of being wrecked," vividly capturing the aftermath of destruction.
The wreckage of the plane was scattered across the mountainside.
Rescue teams searched through the wreckage for survivors.
The storm left a trail of wreckage along the coast.
Archaeologists studied the wreckage of the ancient ship.
Emotional wreckage from the divorce took years to heal.