migrant
ˈmaɪɡrənt
noun
Origin
Latin
migrare — to move, depart, change one's abode
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work or better living conditions.
- An animal, such as a bird or fish, that moves from one region to another with the changing of the seasons.
Literal older meaning
one who wanders or moves
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
migrant
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term entered English during the 17th century, primarily through the scholarly tradition of Latinate vocabulary adoption. While it initially applied to seasonal wildlife patterns, its usage shifted significantly in the 19th and 20th centuries to describe human demographic movements and international labor patterns.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*mei-
“to change, move, go”
- Latin
migrare
“to shift, change residence”
- Latin
migrantem
“moving”
accusative of migrans
- 17th-century English
migrant
“someone who migrates”
adopted from Latin
Connections
Word parts
migr-
root
move
-ant
suffix
person who performs an action
Related across languages
French
migrant
Spanish
migrante
migrant
Related words
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Related to migrant
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.