verge

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, Australian) IPA(key): /vɜːd͡ʒ/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /vɝd͡ʒ/ (New Zealand, Wales) IPA(key): /ˈvøːd͡ʒ/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈvɛɾd͡ʒ/ (Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /veːd͡ʒ/ (Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /vɛːd͡ʒ/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dʒ === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Middle French verge (“rod or wand of office”), hence "scope, territory dominated", from Latin virga (“shoot, rod stick”), of unknown origin. Earliest attested sense in English is now-obsolete meaning "male member, penis" (c.1400). Modern sense is from the notion of 'within the verge' (1509, also as Anglo-Norman dedeinz la verge), i.e. "subject to the Lord High Steward's authority" (as symbolized by the rod of office), originally a 12-mile radius round the royal court, which sense shifted to "the outermost edge of an expanse or area." Doublet of virga. ==== Noun ==== verge (plural verges) A rod or staff of office, e.g. of a verger. (UK, historical) The stick or wand with which persons were formerly admitted tenants, by holding it in the hand and swearing fealty to the lord. Such tenants were called tenants by the verge. An edge or border. (UK, Western Australia, New Zealand) The grassy area between the footpath and the street; a tree lawn; a grassed strip running alongside either side of an outback road. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:verge (figuratively) An extreme limit beyond which something specific will happen. (obsolete) The phallus. (zoology) The external male organ of certain mollusks, worms, etc. An old measure of land: a virgate or yardland. A circumference; a circle; a ring. (architecture) The shaft of a column, or a small ornamental shaft. (architecture) The eaves or edge of the roof that projects over the gable of a roof. (horology) The spindle of a watch balance, especially one with pallets, as in the old vertical escapement. (obsolete, vulgar) Penis. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Latin vergō (“to bend, turn, tend toward, incline”), from Proto-Indo-European *werg- (“to turn”), from a root *wer- (“to turn, bend”) (compare versus); strongly influenced by the above noun. ==== Verb ==== verge (third-person singular simple present verges, present participle verging, simple past and past participle verged) (intransitive) To be or come very close; to border; to approach. To bend or incline; to tend downward; to slope. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === References === Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “verge”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. “verge”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. == Catalan == === Etymology === Inherited from Old Catalan verge~vergen, from Latin virginem. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern) [ˈbe̞r.ʒə] IPA(key): (Balearic) [ˈvɛr.ʒə] IPA(key): (Central) [ˈbɛr.ʒə] IPA(key): (Valencia) [ˈvɛɾ.d͡ʒe] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [ˈbɛr.ʒe] === Adjective === verge m or f (masculine and feminine plural verges or vèrgens) virgin Synonym: poncell virgin (not used, exploited, or processed) oli d'oliva verge extra - extra virgin olive oil selva verge - virgin forest === Noun === verge m or f by sense (plural verges or vèrgens) virgin Synonyms: poncell, poncella === References === “verge”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “verge”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “verge” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “verge”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Dutch == === Verb === verge (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of vergen == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Middle French verge (“rod or wand of office”), hence "scope, territory dominated", from Old French verge, virge, from Latin virga (“shoot, rod stick”), of uncertain origin, but probably from a Proto-Indo-European *wisgeh₂ (“flexible rod or stick”). Doublet of vergue. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vɛʁʒ/ === Noun === verge f (plural verges) rod penis (male sexual organ) Synonym: pénis (Canada) yard (three feet) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Spanish: verja === Further reading === “verge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Anagrams === grève == Friulian == === Alternative forms === verze === Etymology === From Vulgar Latin *virdia (see for cognates), from syncopation of Latin viridia, neuter plural of viridis (“green”). === Noun === verge f (plural vergis) cabbage ==== Related terms ==== vert == Latin == === Verb === verge second-person singular present active imperative of vergō == Lithuanian == === Pronunciation === vergè IPA(key): [vʲɛr̺ʲˈɡʲæ̂ː] vérge IPA(key): [ˈvʲæ̂ːr̺.ɡʲɛ] === Noun === vergè locative singular of vérgas (“slave”) === Noun === vérge vocative singular of vérgas (“slave”) == Middle French == === Etymology 1 === From Old French verge, virge, from Latin virga. ==== Noun ==== verge f (plural verges) rod; stick; staff Exodus, the Bible Moyse ietta en la terre la verge qu'il tenoit dans sa main […] elle fust soudain changé en serpent Moses throw on the ground the staff that he held in is hand […] suddenly, it changes into a serpent ===== Descendants ===== English: verge French: verge === Etymology 2 === From Old French verge, vierge, virge, from virgene, from Latin virginem, accusative of virgō. ==== Noun ==== verge f (plural verges) female virgin (female person who has never had sexual intercourse) ===== Descendants ===== French: vierge == Norwegian Bokmål == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈvêr.ɡə/ (flapped rhotic) IPA(key): [ˈʋæ̂ɾ.ɡə] (uvular rhotic) IPA(key): [ˈʋæ̂ʁ.ɡə] === Etymology 1 === From Old Norse verja. Compare Danish værge, Faroese verja, Icelandic verja, Swedish värja. ==== Verb ==== verge (present tense verger, past tense verga or verget, past participle verga or verget) (transitive) to protect ===== Derived terms ===== vergemål (“guardianship”) === Etymology 2 === From the verb. ==== Noun ==== verge m (definite singular vergen, indefinite plural verger, definite plural vergene) (literary, rare) a protector, defender (law) a guardian, conservator; a person appointed to manage the affairs of others Synonym: formynder ==== Noun ==== verge n (definite singular verget, indefinite plural verg, definite plural verga or vergene) weapon used for defense custody Synonyms: varetekt, forvaring === See also === verja, verje (Nynorsk) === References === “verge” in The Bokmål Dictionary. “verge” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB). == Old French == === Etymology 1 === From a shortening of earlier forms virgine, virgene, from Latin virginem, accusative singular of virgō, possibly a borrowing. ==== Alternative forms ==== vierche vierge virge ==== Noun ==== verge oblique singular, f (oblique plural verges, nominative singular verge, nominative plural verges) virgin (one who has never had sex) ==== Adjective ==== verge m (oblique and nominative feminine singular verge) virgin; virginal ===== Usage notes ===== Often capitalized as la Verge when referring to the Virgin Mary ===== Descendants ===== Middle French: verge French: vierge === Etymology 2 === From Latin virga. ==== Alternative forms ==== virge ==== Noun ==== verge oblique singular, f (oblique plural verges, nominative singular verge, nominative plural verges) rod; stick; staff ===== Descendants ===== Middle French: verge French: verge