Enstrengthen

/ɛnˈstrɛŋθən/ verb

Definition

To make strong or to strengthen something.

Etymology

From 'en-' combined with 'strengthen', itself built from 'strength' plus '-en'. This is a doubly-affixed verb showing the Middle English love of intensification—adding 'en-' to an already-strengthened verb.

Kelly Says

Medieval scribes loved the redundancy of this word—it shows how writers piled on prefixes to show extreme intensity, much like how we today might say 'I very strongly believe' instead of just 'I believe', except they did it with word formation itself.

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