mergulhar

From Old Portuguese mergullar, from Vulgar Latin *merguliāre, from Latin mergulus, diminutive of mergus (“diver; loon”), from mergō (“I dive, I plunge”). Compare also Spanish somorgujar.

• (Paulista) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɹ.ɡu.ˈʎa(ɹ)/
• (South Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɻ.ɡu.ˈʎa(ɻ)/

mergulhar (first-person singular present indicative mergulho, past participle mergulhado)

1. (intransitive) to submerge (to go down in water)

   O submarino mergulhou vinte metro.

   The submarine submerged twenty meters.

2. (intransitive, or transitive with em) to dive (to jump into water)

   Se você mergulhar no lago sem ver a profundidade, pode bater a cabeça.

   If you dive into the lake without checking the depth, you could hit your head.

3. (figuratively, intransitive) to dive (to descend or decrease sharply or steeply)

   A colheita foi tão boa que o preço do trigo mergulhou.

   The harvest was so good that the price of wheat dived.

4. (ditransitive, with the indirect object taking em) to dip (to lower something into a liquid)

   Mergulhe as batatas no óleo para fritá-las.

   Dip the potatoes into the oil in order to fry them.

5. (figuratively, transitive with em) to immerse oneself in (to involve oneself deeply in)

   Mergulhei na música e nunca mais voltei.

   I immersed myself in music I never came back.

6. (intransitive) to dive (to work as a diver)

   Ganho pouco dinheiro mergulhando, mas adoro meu trabalho.

   I earn little money diving, but I love my job.

• (submerge): submergir
• (descend sharply): cair, despencar
• (dip): imergir
• (immerse): envolver-se

• (submerge): emergir, vir à tona