mediar

Mediar is a verb used in several Romance languages, most notably Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Galician. It means to act as an intermediary or to intervene in order to achieve an agreement, resolution, or understanding. Mediation typically involves facilitating communication between two or more parties rather than imposing a solution. The sense of being between sides or interests is central to the term, and mediar is commonly followed by phrases such as mediar entre or mediar en a negotiation, dispute, or process.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from the Latin medius, meaning middle, and entered the Romance languages with the sense of standing in the middle or serving as an intermediary. In each language, mediar forms part of a broader set of terms related to mediation and mediation roles, such as mediator, mediation, and mediating processes.

Usage and context: In Spanish, mediar entre dos partes is standard for describing the act of mediating between parties to reach an agreement. In Portuguese, similar constructions are used, such as mediar entre interlocutores or mediar um acordo. In Catalan and Galician, the verb exists with equivalent meanings, emphasizing intervention, negotiation, and facilitation. In many contexts, the noun mediación/mediación and the agent noun mediator/mediador appear when naming the process or the person performing it.

See also: mediation, mediator, arbitration, diplomacy.