embodiment
/ɪmˈbɒdɪmənt/
noun
Origin
English (based on Latin/Old French roots)
em- + body + -ment — process of giving physical form
Overview
Meaning Now
- A tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling.
- The act or fact of embodying or being embodied.
Literal older meaning
the act of putting into a body
Language path
Latin → Middle English → English
Earliest form
embodiment
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term emerged as the English language began to synthesize Germanic root words with Latinate derivational affixes (em- and -ment) to express more abstract philosophical concepts of 'incarnation' or 'materialization'.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*bhod-
“to swell or be solid”
Reconstructed base related to body.
- Old English
bodig
“trunk or chest”
Refers to the physical frame.
- Middle English
body
“human physique”
Combined with Germanic/French-influenced affixes.
- 17th Century English
embodiment
“giving concrete form to an abstract concept”
First recorded usage in this sense.
Connections
Word parts
em-
prefix
in, into
body
root
physical form
-ment
suffix
state or result of
Related across languages
German
verkörpern
to embody
Explore next
Related to embodiment
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.