Espirar

Espirar is a verb found in the Portuguese language, historically used to denote the act of exhaling or breathing out. In contemporary standard usage, the preferred verb for this sense is expirar, while espirar is generally regarded as archaic, literary, or regional. The term tends to appear in older texts, poetry, or style-conscious writing rather than in everyday speech.

Etymology and related forms: Espirar comes from the same Latin root exspirare, meaning “to breathe out.” It is connected to expirar (to expire or to breathe out) and to inspirar (to inhale) as part of a common family of verbs describing breath in different directions. The proximity of espirar to expirar has led many dictionaries to mark espirar as an historical or stylistic variant rather than a standard modern form.

Usage notes: In modern Portuguese, espirar is mainly encountered in literary contexts, historical documents, or discussions of language history. For everyday communication, expirar is typically used for the literal sense of breathing out, while espirar may be found when quoting older texts or preserving a particular tone. Some regional or philological sources may catalog espirar as a synonym of expirar, but its practical use outside of historical or stylistic contexts is limited.

See also: Expirar, Inspirar, Respirar, Breath in language and etymology reference works.