verge
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
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."
Noun
verge (plural verges)
- A rod or staff of office, e.g. of a verger.
- An edge or border.
- (UK, Australia, New Zealand) The grassy area between the sidewalk and the street; a tree lawn.
- (obsolete) A male rod, phallus.
- (figuratively) An extreme limit beyond which something specific will happen.
- I was on the verge of tears.
Translations
Etymology 2
From Latin vergō (“to bend, turn, tend toward, incline”), from Proto-Indo-European *werg- (“to turn”), from a root Proto-Indo-European *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.
- Eating blowfish verges on insanity.
Translations
References
- “verge” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
French
Etymology
From Middle French verge (“rod or wand of office”), hence "scope, territory dominated", from Latin virga (“shoot, rod stick”), of unknown origin.
Pronunciation
-
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
verge f (plural verges)
Derived terms
- vergé (adjective)
- vergée
- verger (verb)
- vergeron m
- vergeté (adjective)
- vergeter (verb)
- vergette
- vergeture