Cumplimento

Cumplimento is not a standard entry in major Romance-language dictionaries. In contemporary usage, it often appears as a nonstandard spelling or historical variant of other words. The standard forms are cumplimiento in Spanish and cumprimento in Portuguese, which have related but distinct meanings.

In Spanish, cumplimiento is a noun derived from the verb cumplir and denotes the act of fulfilling or performing a duty, promise, or obligation. It is used to express compliance with laws, regulations, or contracts, for example, el cumplimiento de la ley or el cumplimiento de metas. The term is common in legal, administrative, and business contexts.

In Portuguese, cumprimento means a greeting or salutation, used in social interaction. It can also refer to the act of fulfilling a requirement in formal contexts, though regulatory or compliance language more often favors termos such as conformidade or atendimento. The plural cumprimentos is used for expressions of greeting, such as “enviei meus cumprimentos.”

Etymologically, both Spanish cumplimiento and Portuguese cumprimento descend from Latin forms related to completare or ple- fill up, evolving to encompass notions of completion, attainment, or fulfillment. The nonstandard form “cumplimento” is generally discouraged in both languages, and its meaning is best inferred from the standard counterparts.

In summary, cumplimiento (Spanish) and cumprimento (Portuguese) are the correct terms for fulfillment or compliance in their respective languages, while “cumplimento” should be treated as an error or historical variant. See also cumplimiento normativo and cumprimentos.

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