zavezati

Zavezati is a verb used in several South Slavic languages, including Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and some variants of Slovenian. It primarily means to tie, bind, or fasten something with a rope, string, belt, or similar material. In addition to its literal sense, it is commonly used figuratively to indicate binding oneself to a commitment, obligation, or course of action, as in promising or pledging oneself to something (zavezati se).

Etymology and related forms: Zavezati derives from the stem vezati (to tie) with the prefix za-, often marking a completed or definite action in many dialects. Its cognates appear across Slavic languages, such as Russian zavyazat’/zavyazat’ (to tie up) and Polish związać (to bind). The adjective zavezan means bound or tied, and the noun zavezanost can denote binding or commitment.

Usage notes: The verb is transitive and typically takes a direct object indicating what is being tied. Example: On je zavezao konopac za stup. Figuratively, zavezati se expresses dedication or commitment, as in “zavezati se za obećanje” (to bind oneself to a promise). In many contexts, the imperfective form vezati is used for ongoing or repeated tying, while zavezati is the perfective counterpart.

See also: vezati, privezati, zavezan, zavezanost.

Overall, zavezati is a versatile verb grounded in the core concept of binding or fastening, with both tangible and figurative applications in everyday language.