emigrant vs migrant

raisingfink   Wednesday, June 02, 2004, 08:05 GMT
Does anyone know what's the difference between emigrant and migrant? The dictionary seems to give similar meanings. If they are the same, can you use the words interchangeably?

TQ
Might Mick   Wednesday, June 02, 2004, 09:02 GMT
The way I've always thought of it is, "migrant" is the general term that encompasses both "emigrant" and "immigrant".

"Emigrant" : To emigrate, meaning to leave one's original country
"Immigrant" : To immigrate, meaning to enter and settle in a new country.
SN from Ireland   Sunday, June 06, 2004, 13:55 GMT
I believe 'Migrant' is used like an adjective: a migrant worker. But you call the person an 'emigrant'.
Orion   Wednesday, June 09, 2004, 19:51 GMT
A migrant is a person who wanders around or moves from place to place. Can be a noun or an adjective to describe a noun.
"The migrant walked from town to town."
" The migrant worker looked for jobs everywhere he traveled."

Just breaking the words up,
Emigrant is literally "One who moves out"
Immigrant is literally "One who moves in"
Harrow English School   Saturday, June 12, 2004, 17:30 GMT
Emigrant/Immigrant.

The E is a prefix from the Lati "ex" meaning "out of".
The IM is a prefix from the Latin "in" meaning "in" or "into".

The verb "To migrate" means to move more or less permanently from one habitation to another.

The bird Hirundo rustica (in English, the Swallow) migrates to northern Europe from Africa in Springtime in order to breed in (e.g.) England, and spends the Summer there. It is an emigrant from Africa but an immigrant into England.

In Autumn the Swallow (with its newborn young) emigrates from England to Africa once more, where it is once more immigrant.

HES
raisingfink   Monday, June 14, 2004, 00:29 GMT
Thanks