[Lexicog] embiggen

[John Roberts]

Hayim Sheynin said:


I think more precise function of the prefix en-/em- is to form a causative 
verb,  i.e. the verb with the the meaning 'to cause to do something' or 'to 
cause to become something' (this something relates to the base word, e.g. 
'big', 'bold', 'powerful', etc.)

Hayim,

I did say in one of my postings that the Latinate en-/em- prefix in English 
has at least three senses depending on the verb it occurs with:

(a) used to form verbs with the sense of "in, into, upon"
embank vt
embed vt
embody vt
emboss vt

endart ~ indart vt
enframe vt
engaol vt

(b) used to form verbs with the sense "cause to be"
embitter vt
embolden vt
embrave vt
embrittle vt
embrown vt
embusy vt


endamage vt
enfeeble vt
enfierce vt

(c) used intensively or almost meaninglessly
embathe vt
emborder vt
embraid vt
empacket vt
empatron vt
empierce vt

engild vt
engore vt
engorge vt

I concur with what Tim Gaved said that the originator of "embiggen" probably 
modelled this nonce word on "embolden". But although "embolden" is listed 
with the "em-" having the sense of sense 'cause to be' in this case, I think 
this is a misanalysis. There was a verb "bolden" which had the sense of 'to 
make bold' and "embolden" is most likely derived from that word. In that 
derivation "em-" comes under sense (c) since it adds nothing more to the 
meaning apart from perhaps intensifying the meaning. The originator chose 
"embolden" as the model to pattern the new word "embiggen" after without 
understanding the meaning of the pattern.

If they had modelled the nonce word on a word with the Greek em- prefix, 
such as "emphasise" we might have had "emphat" instead of "embiggen".

John Roberts





 
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