acuză

Forms

acuză f (plural acuze)^[1]

Etymology

It is a back-formation from Romanian acuza (“to accuse”).^[2][3][1] Marcu and Maneca give the same origin and compare Italian accusa (“accusation”);^[4] Wikționar does the same.^[5] Marcu's later dictionary instead takes it from the Italian word.^[6] Dimitrescu's dictionary of recent words gives both views.^[7]

The verb is from French accuser and Latin accūsō.^[2] The Italian noun is a deverbal of accusare, recorded from the 13th century.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Marcu and Maneca's dictionary of neologisms lists it as a legal and bookish word for “accusation”.^[4] MDA2 dates it from DEX 1998.^[3] Dimitrescu quotes it from the press of 2003–2007, for example „acuzele formulate de președinte” “the accusations made by the president”.^[7]

Timeline

• 1986 – in Marcu and Maneca's dictionary of neologisms, as a legal and bookish word.^[4]
• 1998 – in DEX, labelled bookish.^[3][9]
• 2003–2007 – press quotations collected by Dimitrescu.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (bookish, law) An accusation, a charge; the same as acuzare.^[2][3][4][1]

Related words

• acuzare
• acuzație
• Italian accusa

Usage notes

The same spelling is the third person of acuza in the present (el acuză “he accuses”); Breban's dictionary even lists the verb under this form.^[10][2] The noun's plural is acuze.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 11
3. ^ a b c d Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 13
4. ^ a b c d Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. acuză
5. ^ Wikționar (Romanian Wiktionary), ro.wiktionary.org
6. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. acuză
7. ^ a b c Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. acuză
8. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
9. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan” (1998), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române, 2nd ed., București: Univers Enciclopedic, p. 11
10. ^ Breban, Vasile (1980), Dicționar al limbii române contemporane de uz curent, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică