enchant
UK[ɪnˈtʃɑːnt]US[ɪnˈtʃænt]
v
to attract someone strongly and make them feel very interested, excited, or pleased
v
to use magic on someone or something
Morpheme Breakdown
en
chant
en
in, into, to put into a certain state
chant
to sing
Etymology
the word 'enchant' entered english in the late 14th century from old french 'enchanter', which itself derived from latin 'incantare', meaning 'to sing a (magical) formula upon, to bewitch'. the latin verb is composed of the intensive prefix 'in-' and 'cantare', meaning 'to sing'. this root 'cantare' is a frequentative form of 'canere' (to sing), tracing back to the proto-indo-european root kan- meaning 'to sing'. the semantic journey is clear: the original sense of singing magical spells evolved into the broader modern meanings of delighting or captivating someone as if by magic.
Analysis
Structure: en + chant
en- (latin, prefix meaning 'in, into, to put into a certain state') + chant (old french/latin, meaning 'to sing')
Examples
the beautiful melody seemed to enchant the entire audience.
the old tale spoke of a witch who could enchant people and turn them to stone.
she has a personality that can enchant anyone she meets.