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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread To come or to go???? #73929 06/22/2002 1:30 PM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 1 Rosebud stranger Rosebud stranger Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 1 I am a writer and should know words, but I find myself frequently > confused about the uses of emigrate and immigrate. Of course, I read > the definitions in my dictionary, but remain befuddled at times. For > example, if I am speaking about a person moving into new mental or emotional territory, > would I say: She emigrated into new territory. OR She immigrated to new > territory, OR WHAT??? Your opinion would be appreciated! The Rumpled Rose Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: To come or to go???? #73930 06/22/2002 1:46 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 819 Portland,Oregon, USA Geoff old hand Geoff old hand Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 819 Portland,Oregon, USA Just to add to your confusion, the planning and population statisitcs types use the term, "in-migration" to connote (or is that denote - you're not the only one confused around here!) those who move from one place to another within a state or geographic boundary. Perhaps, since the context of your example is within the character's own head, this relatively new coinage would fit. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: To come or to go???? #73931 06/22/2002 1:59 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Dear Rosebud: emigrate means to leave a country, immigrate means to enter a country. To go from one mental area to another is merely to migrate, to change from one place to another. But migrate means a rather long journey. A change in pattern of thought might be more like a move on a chess board, or upstairs and downstairs in a house. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: To come or to go???? #73932 06/25/2002 5:53 AM Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 833 Eastern Ontario, Canada modestgoddess old hand modestgoddess old hand Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 833 Eastern Ontario, Canada emigrate means to leave a country, immigrate means to enter a country But then, Dr Bill, are both these sentences right? "I am emigrating to Australia." "I am immigrating to Australia." - or should you only say, "I immigrated to Australia," once you have emigrated?! Let us go in peace to love and serve the board. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Coming or Going? #73933 06/25/2002 1:56 PM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 1,346 Sussex, England FishonaBike veteran FishonaBike veteran Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 1,346 Sussex, England Hmmm - if we have Rosebud do we also have a Citizen Kane somewhere? or should you only say, "I immigrated to Australia," once you have emigrated I believe so, MG. Basically it depends which end you're looking from. As far as people from your motherland are concerned, you will always have emigrated. As far as people from your new country are concerned, you will always have immigrated. Personal opinion, Rosebud - neither word feels quite right for a significant change of mental state. Bill's suggestion of migrate, although it feels better to start with, implies quite a long process, and also an eventual return. Perhaps not what you want either. Having said which, I've no better suggestions! However, I'm reminded of a wise friend's comment: A change in attitude refreshes the parts a change in lifestyle cannot reach Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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