assuntar

Assuntar is a verb found in Portuguese, used in some regional varieties and historical texts. In contemporary standard Portuguese, it is comparatively rare and often considered archaic or specialized. The term is connected to ideas of taking on responsibilities or engaging someone to perform work, but its senses are not as commonly used as those of more standard verbs such as assumir or contratar.

Etymology and sense development

Assuntar appears to derive from Latin roots related to taking up or undertaking, passing into Old Portuguese with a similar notion. Over time, its usage became more restricted and varied by region, leading to meanings that touch on employment as well as taking on duties.

Main senses

- To hire or engage someone for work or services. In many dialects, this sense is less common than contratar or empregar, and assuntar may appear primarily in legal, historical, or regional contexts.

- To undertake or assume a responsibility, task, or role. This aligns with the broader semantic field of assuming or taking on obligations, though the more standard verb in modern usage is assumir.

Usage and register

Because assuntar is not part of everyday standard Portuguese, its appearance can signal a formal, historical, or regional register. Writers or speakers unfamiliar with the term may replace it with contratar, empregar, or assumir depending on the intended meaning.

See also

Assumir, Contratar, Empregar, Assunção, Assuntar-se (reflexive usage in some texts).