Also means
to emerge
Usage Note
Affiorare literally means to rise to the surface of water or ground, used of rocks, underwater objects, or archaeological finds (affiorano i resti romani). Figuratively it means for a feeling, memory, or truth to come to light. It takes essere as its auxiliary in compound tenses.
Examples
"Un ricordo lontano cominciò ad affiorare."
Natural Translation
A distant memory began to surface.

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