altundeva

Forms

altundeva^[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from Romanian alt (“other”) + undeva (“somewhere”).^[2][3][4][1] MDA2 analyses it as alt with unde or undeva, since the shorter ⟨alt-unde⟩ is used as well.^[4][5] The DA compares Italian altronde, which is also used after prepositions.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record of the word is from 1703.^[3] The DA treats alt-unde and alt-undeva under alt, with the sense “in another place, elsewhere”, of rest or of motion, and quotes Să fugim altundeva “let us run off somewhere else” from Anton Pann.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The adverb has kept its single sense, “in another place”, used both of position and of motion.^[5][2] It is often combined with the prepositions pe, de and până.^[5] Tiktin records the shorter form áltunde in regional use, from Transylvania and the Banat.^[3]

Timeline

• 1703 – the first record.^[3]
• 1913 – the DA lists alt-unde and alt-undeva under alt;^[1] MDA2 takes its first record from there.^[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. elsewhere: in another place, somewhere else;^[1] Caută cheile altundeva. “Look for the keys somewhere else.”^[2][4][1]

Related words

• alt
• undeva
• unde
• aiurea

Usage notes

The stress falls on the last syllable, altundevá, or on the first, áltundeva.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 32
3. ^ a b c d Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. altundeva
4. ^ 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, 46
5. ^ a b c d e f 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. alt