coniungere

Coniungere is a Latin verb meaning to bring together, unite, or join. It encompasses both physical joining of parts and more abstract forms of unification, such as linking ideas, paths, or groups.

Etymology and forms. The word is built from the prefix con- (together) and the verb iungere (to join). The classical principal parts are coniungo, coniungere, coniunxi, coniunctum, and its passive in some texts is coniungor, coniungi, coniunctus sum. The noun form coniunctio (a joining, union) and related derivatives such as coniunctus (joined) are closely associated with its meaning. The English conjoin and the modern Romance-language terms such as coniungere or congiunzione in scholarly or historical contexts reflect the same root.

Usage and senses. In Latin, coniungere is used for both literal joining (connecting two objects, joining roads, tying things) and figurative unification (uniting peoples, concepts, or arguments). It appears in legal, military, philosophical, and rhetorical contexts to express the act of bringing elements into a single whole or making a linkage between things. The concept also yields the noun coniunctio, which denotes conjunction or union, and contributes to terms for joining in logic, science, and theology.

Modern status and related terms. In post-classical Latin and in medieval scholastic writing, coniungere continued to appear but is largely of historical or philological interest today. In modern Romance languages, the verb is rarely used outside scholarly or historical contexts; its influence survives mainly in technical terms and in derivatives such as coniunctio/coniunzione (conjunction) and in the English verb conjoin, which traces back to the same Latin root.