Mitigar / Mitigarse

Question

Hola,

¿Hay diferencia entre mitigar y mitigarse? Si hay, explícamela.

Gracias

Answer 1

Estudiante

When I looked for "mitigar" in the Diccionario Real Academia Española (DRAE) i found this:

 

mitigar.
(Del lat. mitig?re).
1. tr. Moderar, aplacar, disminuir o suavizar algo riguroso o áspero.
(in English, "Moderate, quell, reduce or soften something harsh or rough)
U. t. c. prnl.

 

I did not find "mitigarse" in the DRAE. However, the interesting thing about the definition of "mitigar" is the appearance of "U.t.c.prnl." in the definition. That short form means "Usado también como pronominal" or in English "also used as a pronominal". The thing about pronominal verbs is that they have the clitic "se" added to the end of them in their infinitive form. Reflexive verbs are a subset of pronominal verbs. So it can be said that "mitigarse" is simply the reflexive form of mitigar.

 

I suggest that "mitigar" is the verb to use when referring to some other person or persons ameliorating or mitigating something outside themselves but that mitigarse is the verb to use when one does that to some circumstance about themselves.

 

Muchos saludos/Best wishes,
Moe

¡Muchas gracias Moe! Me contestaste muy exactamente. - Estudiante77, Mar 31, 2014