The Latin word imbrex , which can be translated as “channeled tile” , allowed the formation of imbricāre . This late Latin term refers to making a covering with these tiles.
The idea came to Spanish as imbricar . It is a verb that refers to the action of arranging various identical elements so that they partially overlap . The appearance of the pieces once they have been interwoven is that of a pattern that can resemble that of a roof or the scales of some animal, such as a fish.
We can find the notion of overlapping in the field of gastronomy . A chef engages in overlapping ingredients when he takes pieces that are the same thickness and similar size and places them so that they partially overlap.
There are recipes whose preparation requires overlapping slices of potato , eggplant or apple , to mention a few possibilities. The imbrication can be the central step of the elaboration or appear only at the end, at the time of completion.
In the case of an apple cake, for example, the first step is to prepare the dough, which must be placed in a round mold when it has reached the appropriate consistency. We must peel the apples, remove the trunk (or core, depending on the region) and cut them into thin slices (with a thickness that does not exceed a millimeter and a half) and use them to cover the upper face, forming increasingly wider concentric circles, overlapping them to give the final product its characteristic and attractive appearance .
As mentioned above, not all recipes call for blending an ingredient before cooking; Although the apple cake must be mixed with the slices before putting it in the oven, other dishes take advantage of this technique at the end or even before serving them on the table.
Beyond its literal meaning, imbricate can be used pronominally or figuratively. The concept is used as involve , insert or integrate .
For example: “It is important to involve sports in youth so that children grow up with healthy habits” , “We must integrate technology in the company if we want to improve our position in the market” , “In his new novel, the writer demonstrates a “great talent for weaving the various plot lines into a coherent, clear and engaging story.”
Let's take the case of a scientific communicator. This individual seeks to disseminate scientific knowledge in the simplest way possible, so that many people can understand and assimilate the information. For this reason, in his presentations, he is dedicated to interweaving data and scientific terms amidst anecdotes , trying to produce a valuable message from an educational point of view but, at the same time, entertaining.
In the field of law , the term imbricate is also used, although more frequently the noun of its same family: imbrication . In this context, it is a case in which a subordinate has an interest in its controlling person or parent company. This is not legal but is strictly prohibited: no matter the reasons, a subordinate cannot have shares, quotas or interest in its parent companies.
One of the reasons why overlapping is prohibited in this area is that it can confuse third parties about the amount of the creditors' real pledge that guarantees that social obligations are met. In other words, overlapping the capital would be like reinvesting it in the parent company, something that would give rise to a false and imprecise notion of the amount and, consequently, to an also uncertain patrimonial solidity.