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Definition 2024

en-_-en

en- -en

See also: enen and énen

English

Circumfix

en- -en

Forms transitive verbs denoting an increase in, or intensification of, the quality denoted by the enclosed word.

Related terms

Derived terms and words derived from related affixes

:Nota bene: 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.

References

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.