en- -en
English
editAlternative forms
edit- em- -en (before b-, p-, or m-)
Pronunciation
editCircumfix
edit- Forms transitive verbs denoting an increase in, or intensification of, the quality denoted by the enclosed word.
Related terms
editNote: Not all of these words listed were etymologically constructed with the en- -en circumfix. Those confirmed to have been so constructed are marked with obeli (†s); those confirmed to have been formed otherwise are marked with asterisks (*s); and those whose origins are uncertain are unmarked.
See also
editReferences
edit- Most dictionaries do not consider the concept of a circumfix to be valid for production rules in current English, and since en- -en can be analyzed as a redundant combination of the prefix en- and the suffix -en, most dictionaries do not have a separate entry for it.