| Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A prefix signifying in or into, used in many English words, chiefly those borrowed from the French. Some English words are written indifferently with en-or in-. For ease of pronunciation it is commonly changed to em-before p, b, and m, as in employ, embody, emmew. It is sometimes used to give a causal force, as in enable, enfeeble, to cause to be, or to make, able, or feeble; and sometimes merely gives an intensive force, as in enchasten. See In-. 2. (n.) A prefix from Gr. / in, meaning in; as, encephalon, entomology. See In-. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia EN- (`ayin (compare Arabic `Ain)):
The Hebrew word for "spring" or "fountain" (Genesis 16:7 Numbers 33:9 Nehemiah 2:14 Proverbs 8:28 (feminine plural)). It occurs in numerous compound words, as EN-GEDI, EN-HADDAH, EN-HAKKORE, EN-HAZOR, EN-RIMMON, EN-ROGEL, EN-SHEMESH (which see). In the same way the word `Ain is a very common component of Arabic names of places throughout Palestine and Syria at the present day. Places with names compounded with "En-" were almost certainly located near a spring.
See FOUNTAIN; WELL. |