Enclave

How to spell enclave

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce enclave

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does enclave mean?

1. nounA distinct territory, community, or group that is enclosed within and set apart from a larger surrounding area.

Enclave in a sentence

• The tiny enclave of artists thrived in the middle of the financial district.

• The mountain kingdom is a landlocked enclave surrounded entirely by one neighbour.

Where does enclave come from?

Language of origin: French

This word came into English in the early nineteenth century directly from French, where 'enclave' described a piece of territory entirely surrounded by foreign land. The French noun grew out of the verb 'enclaver', meaning to enclose or to shut in, which descends from the Vulgar Latin 'inclavare', built from the prefix 'in-' (in, within) and 'clavis' (a key). The literal idea was of something locked in place, as if behind a key, and the same 'clavis' root surfaces in familiar words such as 'clavicle' (the collarbone, thought to resemble a small key) and 'clef' in music. Originally a precise term of geography and diplomacy, it broadened to describe any small, distinct community or group set apart within a larger surrounding one. The spelling preserves the French 'en-' rather than an English 'in-', which is the main thing a writer has to remember.

How the word is built

• en- (in, within)
• clave (from Latin clavis: key, hence to lock in)