An obsolete or extremely rare verb meaning to turn into or become like people; to populate.
From em- (cause to become) + people. An archaic formation following the standard English pattern of adding em- to nouns to create verbs, similar to 'empower' or 'enable.'
This word is so rare that even the Oxford English Dictionary barely has citations for it—it was probably never common, even in Middle English. It's a 'ghost word' that survives more in the fabric of language than in actual use.
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