tergiversate

English edit

WOTD – 19 December 2008

Etymology edit

From Latin tergiversārī (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) + English -ate (“forming verbs”), from tergum (“back, hind”) + vertere (“to turn”).

Pronunciation edit

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/
(US) enPR: tər-jɪv'ər-sāt, IPA^(key): /tɝˈd͡ʒɪvɝseɪt/
Audio (US) (file)

Verb edit

tergiversate (third-person singular simple present tergiversates, present participle tergiversating, simple past and past participle tergiversated)

(intransitive) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
- 1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, →ISBN, page 18:
  The officials soon concluded that the easiest way to remain on good terms with the court was to elude responsibility, to tergiversate, to prevent results.
(intransitive) To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
- 2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, →ISBN, page 221:
  Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.
(intransitive, rare) To flee by turning one's back.

Synonyms edit

(to evade, obfuscate): prevaricate, beat around the bush
(to change sides): desert

Related terms edit

Translations edit

to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate

Bulgarian: увъртам (bg) (uvǎrtam)
Czech: vytáčet se, vymlouvat se
French: se dérober (fr); tergiverser (fr) (in part)
Italian: tergiversare (it)
Latin: tergiversor
Portuguese: tergiversar (pt)
Romanian: tergiversa (ro)
Russian: уклоня́ться (ru) impf (uklonjátʹsja), уви́ливать (ru) impf (uvílivatʹ), увёртываться (ru) impf (uvjórtyvatʹsja)

to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize

Arabic: اِرْتَدَّ (irtadda)
Czech: odpadnout, přeběhnout
Finnish: kääntää takkinsa
French: changer de camp, retourner sa chemise (fr)
Russian: предава́ть (ru) impf (predavátʹ), отступа́ться (ru) impf (otstupátʹsja), переметну́ться (ru) pf (peremetnútʹsja)

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