embolden
UK[ɪmˈbəʊldən]US[ɪmˈboʊldən]
v
to make someone feel more brave or confident
v
to make a text or design more prominent, typically by printing or writing it in bold type
Morpheme Breakdown
em
bold
en
em
cause to be
bold
fearless
en
verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'embolden' is a relatively modern english formation, constructed from native germanic elements. its core, 'bold', descends from the old english 'beald', which itself traces back to the proto-germanic 'balþaz', meaning 'brave' or 'strong'. the causative prefix 'em-', a variant of 'en-', was borrowed from latin 'in-' via old french, and the verbal suffix '-en' is a productive germanic ending. the literal construction 'to make bold' perfectly captures the word's modern sense of instilling courage. this transparent compounding showcases english's ability to blend inherited and borrowed morphological tools to create precise, logical verbs.
Analysis
Structure: em (cause to be) + bold (fearless) + en (verb suffix)
em: a prefix of latin origin via old french, meaning 'to put into' or 'cause to be'. it functions as an intensifier or causative prefix.
bold: from old english 'beald', meaning 'courageous, confident'. it is the core root carrying the primary meaning.
en: a verb-forming suffix of germanic origin, used to create transitive verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to become'.
Examples
the leader's speech served to embolden the protesters.
positive feedback can embolden a shy student to participate more in class.
please embolden the headings in the document for better readability.