verge

1. verg- + -e.
2. => tend toward, tend toward to edge, turn toward to edge.
3. => edge.

verge 小草地，边缘，权杖

来自拉丁语virga,小杆，绿枝，引申词义小草地。同时，因用做教堂司事的权杖，引申词义管辖范围，管辖范围的边缘。

verge

verge: English has two words verge. The noun [14], which now means ‘edge’, was originally used in English for ‘penis’ (it is to this day a technical term for the male reproductive organ of invertebrate animals). It comes via Old French verge from Latin virga ‘rod’ (source also of English virgule [19]), and the sense ‘edge’ emerged in the 15th century from the notion of the limits of territorial jurisdiction of the Lord High Steward, as symbolized by his ‘rod’ of office.

A verger is likewise etymologically someone who carries an official ‘rod’. The verb verge [17] comes from Latin vergere ‘bend, incline’, which also gave English converge [17] and diverge [17].
=> verger, virgule; converge, diverge

verge (n.)

"edge, rim," mid-15c., from Old French verge "twig, branch; measuring rod; penis; rod or wand of office" (12c.), hence, from the last sense, "scope, territory dominated" (as in estre suz la verge de "be under the authority of"), from Latin virga "shoot, rod, stick, slender green branch," of unknown origin.

Earliest attested sense in English is now-obsolete meaning "male member, penis" (c. 1400). Modern sense is from the notion of within the verge (c. 1500, also as Anglo-French dedeinz la verge), i.e. "subject to the Lord High Steward's authority" (as symbolized by the rod of office), originally a 12-mile radius round the king's court. Sense shifted to "the outermost edge of an expanse or area." Meaning "point at which something happens" (as in on the verge of) is first attested c. 1600. "A very curious sense development." [Weekley]

verge (v.1)

"tend, incline," c. 1600, from Latin vergere "to bend, turn, tend toward, incline," from PIE *werg- "to turn," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Influenced by verge (v.2) "provide with a border" (c. 1600); "be adjacent to" (1787), from verge (n.). Related: Verged; verging.

1. I'm sad that Julie'smarriage is on the verge of splitting up.

朱莉的婚姻濒临破裂，我为此感到难过。

2. Her parents are rumoured to be on the verge of splitting up.

据说她的父母快要离婚了。

3. The big Irishman was on the verge of losing his cool.

那个高大的爱尔兰人快要失去冷静了。

4. Carole was on the verge of tears.

卡萝尔差点就要哭了。

5. His voice trembled, on the verge of tears.

他声音颤抖，泪水在眼眶里打转。

【verge, edge, brim, margin, border, fringe, rim】
这组词都有“边，边缘”的意思，其区别是：
verge: 指明显地标志一个表在或一广阔空间的边界，或终端线，也指极狭窄的空间。常用作比喻。
edge: 普通用词，指较窄的边沿。
brim: 指深容器的内边或河、湖等水域的最高线。
margin: 指物体的空白边，一般较宽。
border: 侧重刚好在界线内的一部分表面上，指较宽的边缘，也可指边缘本身。
fringe: 指地毯的须边、围巾的花边、烫发的卷边或人群的边缘。
rim: 指圆形或有曲线的物体的边缘。

【frontier, verge, border, boundary, rim】
这组词都有“边界”的意思，其区别是：
frontier: n.边界，边境，边疆，指靠近边界(boundary)的区域；也可引申为"未开发的领域"，"(学术的)前沿"等。
• The American West was still a frontier a century ago. 一个世纪以前美国西部还是一片边疆。
• She is a biochemist who works on the frontiers of biology. 她是从事生物学前沿研究的生化学家。
verge: n. (道路、花坛等长着草的)边缘，引申为"某事即将发生之际"。
• on the verge of war 战争爆发之际
border: n.较宽的边缘，边界，多指两国或两地之间的分界处附近的边缘地区、边界地带；也可以指物体的边缘等。
• We crossed the Mexican bordersintosthe USA. 我们穿过墨西哥边界进入美国境内。
boundary: n.边界；界线。多指作为界线的标识物等。
• The fence marks the boundary between my land and hers. 这道栅栏是我的地和她的地的分界线。
rim: n.边，边缘，尤指圆形或近似圆形的物体的边缘。