Old Spanish edit

Etymology edit

From Late Latin vērificō, vērificāre (present as if true; verify, prove true), a semi-learned term. More in the entry of the modern descendant.

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

averiguar

  1. present something as true, make something seem true
    • 1251, anonymous, Calila e Dimna 12:[1]
      Ca el omne faldrido, et sabio, et manso, si quisiere desfazer la verdat et averiguar la mentira, a las vezes fazerlo ía así commo el buen pintor que pinta las imágenes en la pared que semejan a omne que sale della.
      Because a clever man, who is wise and of calm temper, if he intends to undo truth and present a lie as if true, he will do it then like a good painter painting such good images on a wall that it seems a man is coming out of it.
  2. verify something, determine whether it is true

Descendants edit

  • Spanish: averiguar

References edit

  1. ^ Corpus diacrónico del español (CORDE), accessed 2020-02-21, which cites an edition by Cacho Blecua, Juan Manuel; Lacarra, María Jesús; published by Castalia: Madrid, 1993.

Portuguese edit

Etymology edit

Ultimately from Latin vērificāre. Doublet of verificar.

Pronunciation edit

 
 

  • Hyphenation: a‧ve‧ri‧guar

Verb edit

averiguar (first-person singular present (Brazilian Portuguese) averíguo or (European Portuguese) averiguo, first-person singular preterite averiguei, past participle averiguado)

  1. (transitive) to investigate

Conjugation edit

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old Spanish averiguar, from Late Latin vērificāre as a semi-learned term, with the prefix a- from Latin ad-. According to Coromines and Pascual, citing Rufino José Cuervo, it is first attested in a Fuero Juzgo from 1240.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /abeɾiˈɡwaɾ/ [a.β̞e.ɾiˈɣ̞waɾ]
  • Rhymes: -aɾ
  • Syllabification: a‧ve‧ri‧guar

Verb edit

averiguar (first-person singular present averiguo, first-person singular preterite averigüé, past participle averiguado)

  1. (transitive) to find out, figure out, work out, determine
    Synonym: encontrar
    No me digas la respuesta. Déjame averiguarla.
    Don't tell me the answer. Let me figure it out.
  2. (transitive) to dig up, to investigate
    Synonym: investigar
    Voy a averiguar quién hizo la travesura.
    I'm going to dig up who was the one that did the mischief.

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit