embark
Meaning
To go onto a ship or an aircraft at the start of a journey.
To begin a new project or course of action, especially one that is important or challenging.
Structure
Usage
The passengers will embark at Southampton for the transatlantic voyage.
After graduation, she embarked on a career in scientific research.
The company is embarking on a major expansion into Asian markets.
Etymology
The word 'embark' entered English in the mid-16th century from the French 'embarquer', which itself was built from the prefix 'em-' (a variant of 'en-', meaning "in") and 'barque' (a type of ship). The literal sense is "to put or go on board a vessel." This concrete meaning of boarding a ship logically extended to the more abstract sense of commencing any significant venture, as if setting out on a voyage. The core imagery persists: to embark on a journey, a career, or a project is to metaphorically step onto the vessel that will carry you through that endeavor.
Analysis
- em: A prefix of Latin origin (from 'in-'), meaning "in, into, on." It assimilates to 'em-' before 'b' or 'p'. - bark: From Old French 'barque', meaning "boat, small ship," ultimately from Late Latin 'barca'.