alibi

Forms

alibi n (plural alibiuri)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French alibi, a French legal term taken from Latin alibī (“elsewhere”), an adverb formed on alius (“other”) with the locative ending also seen in ubi (“where”) and ibi (“there”).^[2][3][1] Marcu names French and Latin as sources together, and Scriban gave it as a Latin word.^[4][5] Gabinschi counts it among the international words of Latin origin, spread through French, German Alibi and Russian алиби (alibi), and pairs it with the inherited aiurea.^[6] French had the noun in law from 1394.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record is Bălășescu's Romanian–French dictionary of 1859, with the legal sense: proof of innocence from being elsewhere when the offence was committed.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The legal sense, the defence of having been elsewhere at the time of a crime, came first.^[2][8] The figurative senses “pretext, excuse, justification” followed, as they had in French.^[3][9][7] The older variant alibiu is recorded beside alibi, and its plural alibiuri is the standard one.^[2][8][10]

Timeline

• 1859 – first recorded, in Bălășescu's Romanian–French dictionary.^[2]
• 1913 – the DA gives it as a legal term, with the variant alibiu.^[8]
• 1986 – Marcu and Maneca record the figurative sense “excuse, justification”.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (law) An alibi: proof of innocence based on the fact that the accused was somewhere else when the offence was committed.^[3][11][1]
2. (law) A means of defence that rests on such proof.^[3][11]
3. (figurative) A pretext, an excuse, a justification.^[3][11]

Related words

• aiurea
• Latin alibī

Usage notes

A (nu) avea (nici) un alibi means “to have (no) proof, (no) justification”.^[3][11] The plural is alibiuri.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. alibi
3. ^ a b c d e f g DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 29
4. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. alibi
5. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1, 87
6. ^ Gabinschi, Marcu (2001), Dicționar de dublete etimologice ale limbii române, 2nd ed., Chișinău: Litera, p. 62
7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b c Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. alibi
9. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. alibi
10. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. alibi
11. ^ 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, 42