emigrate
Meaning
to leave your own country to go and live permanently in another country.
Structure
Usage
My grandparents decided to emigrate from Italy after the war.
Many people were forced to emigrate due to political persecution.
She plans to emigrate to Canada next year to join her family.
Etymology
The word 'emigrate' is built upon the Latin verb 'migrare', meaning to move or change one's place. The prefix 'e-' (a variant of 'ex-') adds the specific sense of "out" or "away from". Thus, the literal construction is "to move out". This term entered English in the late 18th century, specifically to describe the act of departing one's native country or region to settle elsewhere. It forms a complementary pair with 'immigrate', which focuses on the destination (moving in), while 'emigrate' focuses on the point of origin (moving out).
Analysis
e- is a prefix of Latin origin meaning "out of, away". migrate is a verb of Latin origin meaning "to move from one place to another".