associam

Associam is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Portuguese verb associar, meaning they associate or they link. The verb is transitive and can take a direct object, for example: “Eles associam dados de fontes diferentes” (They associate data from different sources). It can also be used reflexively in the sense of forming connections or collaborations, as in “Eles associam-se para criar um consórcio” (They join forces to create a consortium).

Usage in Portuguese spans several senses. In academic and journalistic writing, associam is commonly used to describe the linking of ideas, data, or institutions. In everyday speech, it indicates forming relationships, networks, or groupings, whether conceptual (associating concepts) or organizational (associating with partners).

Origin and related terms. Associar derives from Latin sociāre, meaning to join or unite, and reached Portuguese via intermediary Romance forms such as Old French associer. The related noun associação means “association” and shares the same root. Other related forms include the adjective associativo/associativa and the verb novo-form associations in compound constructions.

See also. Portuguese verb conjugation; association; sociology of data linkage; lexical family around associação and associar.