Prefix in nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, gerunds, participles, and prepositions; also in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.281]. It is frequent in words of OE origin: (nouns) inborgh, infangene-thef, ingang, inheue, inknight, inlond, inthank, etc.; (adjectives & adverbs) inli, inmost, inward, etc.; (verbs) inbringen, incomen, infaren, ingon, etc.; (gerund) inwritinge; (preposition) into; also in ME formations from OE roots: (nouns) incomere, inhok, inkitter, inturn, inwit, etc.; (adv.) insame, inwith; (verbs) indrauen, indwellen, inhelden, inleten, inriden, insetten, inthringen, etc.; (ger.) inbouing, inbrethinge, incominge, inyetinge, etc.; (ppls.) impiȝt, indight, indon, etc.; (prep.) inwith. It is also frequent in words from L or OF: (nouns) illuminacioun, illusioun, implexioun, improuement, induccioun, inhabitantes, irritacion, etc.; (adj.) illustre, implete, implicate, incendiarie, inductif, infect, irrigat, etc.; (verbs) illuden, illuminen, implien, impregnen, impressen, includen, instoren, irriten, etc.; also in ME formations from L or OF roots: (nouns) illuminative, illuminere, incibacion, etc.; (adv.) impliedli, impresseli, etc.; (verbs) illuren, impleten, implicaten, inducten, inheritagen, inventen, etc.; (ger.) incarning, instuing, etc.; (ppls.) imperiled, implanted, incerteined, inclused, etc. Perhaps because of its frequent occurrence in L & OF borrowings in which the original sense of the prefix had been forgotten (impugnacioun, incantacioun, etc.), in- is often a semantically empty addition to OE or ON roots (esp. verbs) used for translating foreign words in in-: inberend, inbiggen, incallen, incleping, inchaungen, incolden, infighten, infolwen, inknouen, inlouen, etc.