embrighten

English

Etymology

em- + bright + -en, prebilabial intensifying verbal circumfix.[1]

Pronunciation

  • (RP) IPA: /ɛmˈbɹaɪtə̆n/

Verb

embrighten (third-person singular simple present embrightens, present participle embrightening, simple past and past participle embrightened)

  1. (rare, chiefly literary) Brighten; vivify.

References

  1. ^ The Oxford English Dictionary (2007) states that embrighten was formed by the simultaneous prefixing of en- and suffixing of -en, which, by definition, constitutes circumfixation.
Last modified on 4 February 2012, at 22:50