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en-¹ or em- or in-

pref.

a. To put into or onto: encapsulate.

b. To go into or onto: enplane.

2. To cover or provide with: enrobe.

3. To cause to be: endear.

4. Thoroughly. Used often as an intensive: entangle.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin in-, in; see en in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

en-² or em-

pref.

In; into; within: enzootic.

[Middle English, from Latin, from Greek; see en in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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