Abordez

Aborder is a French verb with several related meanings centered on coming near, starting to deal with something, or approaching a person or object. The form abordez is the second-person plural present indicative and also the formal imperative form for vous, so it is used to address someone or a group: Abordez le sujet avec prudence. In nautical contexts, aborder can mean to bring a vessel alongside another or to board it.

Étymologie and origin: aborder comes from Old French aborder, likely built from a- plus bord (edge, side). The sense shift from physical approach to handling topics or conversations develops from the core notion of approaching something.

Conjugation and usage: Aborder is a regular -er verb. Present tense forms include j’aborde, tu abordes, il aborde, nous abordons, vous abordez, ils abordent. Other common forms are abordais (imparfait), aborderai (futur), and the imperative abordez (you, or you all, approach/address). The verb takes direct objects when meaning “to address” or “to tackle” a subject or person: aborder un sujet, aborder quelqu’un. In the nautical sense, it governs objects related to ships, as in aborder un navire.

Semantics and examples:

- To address or tackle: Abordez ce problème maintenant.

- To approach or speak to someone: Il l’a abordée dans le couloir.

- To board or bring alongside a vessel: Les marins ont décidé d’aborder le navire ennemi.

Related terms: abordage (boarding of a ship; a noun), accoster (synonymous for approaching a person or a vessel), abordage et accostage refer to close approach by sea. Aborder is a versatile verb bridging everyday discussion and maritime terminology.