Cinge

Cinge is a Portuguese verb form meaning to gird, encircle, or surround. It is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb cingir; the infinitive is cingir, and the past participle is cingido. The form is commonly found in literary and formal prose.

Etymology and cognates: cingir and its forms come from Latin cingere, a verb meaning to gird or surround. The root is linked to words in other Romance languages and to the English verb “to gird,” reflecting the same basic idea of encircling or binding.

Conjugation and related forms: In standard Portuguese, the present tense forms include eu cingo, tu cinges, ele cinge, nós cingimos, vós cingis, eles cingem. The gerund is cingindo and the past participle is cingido. The related verb cingir is the archetype for this conjugation, and its reflexive or extended uses appear with typical pronouns or prepositional phrases.

Usage and nuances: Literal use describes binding or encircling with a belt, cord, or similar object (for example, a cinta cinge a cintura). Figuratively, cingir can mean to surround or envelop with conditions, obligations, or dangers, often in elevated or literary registers. The expression is more common in formal or older prose and may appear in idiomatic phrases related to encircling or enclosing.

Latin parallel: In Latin, cinge is the second-person singular present active imperative of cingere, meaning “gird!” The form is spelled identically to the Portuguese present tense, illustrating a shared root in the descendant languages.

See also: gird, encircle, belt, cingere, cingo.