émergé

Émergé is the past participle of the French verb émerger, and is used as an adjective or, less commonly, in noun-like constructions. It denotes something that has risen to the surface or come into view, whether physically, in a description, or in a figurative sense. In geography and geology the expression la partie émergée is standard for the portion of land that is above water, contrasted with the partie immergée.

Etymology and development: the word derives from Latin emergere, formed from ex- “out” and mergere “to dip, to plunge,” and entered French through Old French as émerger. The prefix é- conveys the sense of rising forth or becoming visible.

Usage and sense: beyond physical emergence, émerge can describe phenomena or entities that have recently appeared or become noticeable, as in un phénomène émergé or un problème émergé. In economic and sociopolitical vocabulary the related adjective émergent (not émergé) is widely used to describe something that is in the process of forming or developing, such as “pays émergents” for emerging economies.

Grammar and forms: as a participle, émergé agrees with the noun in gender and number (masc. émergé, fem. émergée; masc. plur. émergés, fem. plur. émergées). The corresponding noun form is émergence, referring to the act or process of emerging.

Translations and related terms: common English equivalents include emerged and emergent, depending on context. The concept is linked to émergence in French, which denotes the act or process of coming into view or prominence.

See also: émergence, émergent.