Latin

in-

in, into, on, upon

Forms

in-
im- — Used before b, m, or p in Latin.
il- — Used before l in Latin.
ir- — Used before r in Latin.
en- — Developed in French in some words later borrowed into English.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *en, ‘in.’

Note

Identical spellings can hide two different prefixes: this one indicates position or direction, while the other means ‘not.’

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noun

ensign

EN-sun/ˈensən/

A commissioned naval officer below lieutenant junior grade.

The ensign reports to the lieutenant before taking the watch.

On a U.S. naval ship, a young commissioned officer with one plain gold bar on each shoulder receives directions from a senior officer while enlisted sailors stand nearby; the junior officer is the focus.

Etymology

enLatinin, into, on, upon

+signLatinmark, sign, or signal

The identifying mark became a badge of authority or a military flag. Ensign then named the soldier carrying that flag, and later a junior commissioned naval officer.

In context

The University of Texas at Austin presenter1:14

I'm an Ensign in the United States Navy and a recent graduate of the University of Texas Naval ROTC.

Campaign for Texas: Impact on the World

Chris Johnson0:19

I'll commission as an ensign in the Navy

What’s Next for UVA’s Class of 2025?

More examples

Two new ensigns joined the ship.
She received her commission as an ensign.
The ensign checked the signal equipment.

Forms

ensign · ensigns