[Lexicog] embiggen

[Michael Nicholas]

Dear Tim,
   Isn't there a certain tendency to put em instead of en in front of the word because it begins with B? embattle/embank/ emblemish etc.? So embolden and enlighten. In this case enlighten is  - of course - not to make a load less heavy, and  it was needed because it added a new meaning to lighten. I think embiggen is due to the em rather than en before  B and even so widen from wide etc. Ithink we have something on the lines of entrap/ensnare for trap/snare.(verbs). 

Tim Gaved <tim_gaved at sil.org> escribió:
              Michael, 
  
  But note embolden – to make bolder, and enlighten.
  
  The first was probably the model, as “emboldens the heart” is a recognisable collocation, albeit infrequent or perhaps archaic. It generates a small number of hits in Google.
  
    Tim Gaved
  SIL Senegal

  

  

         

 		
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