Past tense of pin, meaning to fasten or attach with a pin, or to hold someone or something in a fixed position.
From Old English pinn, related to Latin pinna (feather, wing). Originally referred to a peg or bolt, later to small fastening devices, and eventually to the action of securing something firmly.
Being 'pinned' captures a fundamental human tension between security and freedom - we pin things to keep them safe and in place, but being pinned ourselves often feels restrictive, showing how the same action can be protective or imprisoning depending on perspective.
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