băutor

Forms

băutor m (plural băutori, feminine equivalent băutoare)^[1] The first record has the old form beutor, and MDA2 lists beutor as a variant.^[2][3] Scriban notes that the be- forms were old and survive in Oltenia and Transylvania.^[4]

Etymology

DEX, MDA2, Tiktin and the DLRM take it as formed from Romanian bea + -tor.^[5][3][6][7] DELR gives this view and Pușcariu's, who took it from Vulgar Latin *bibitōrius, an equivalent of Latin bibitor (“a heavy drinker”).^[2] Ciorănescu notes that the REW and Pascu derive it directly from the Latin noun;^[8][1] Wiktionary gives both explanations.^[8][1] The Latin noun is formed on bibō (“to drink”).^[9]

Its equivalents south of the Danube are Megleno-Romanian biitor, with the variants beitor and biiător,^[10][2] and Aromanian biutor.^[1] The Romance forms that answer to the Latin noun include Italian bevitore, French buveur, Catalan bevedor, Spanish bebedor and Portuguese bebedor.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR and Tiktin date the first record to 1551–1553, in a Slavonic–Romanian Gospel book, in the verse of Matthew 11:19 where Jesus is called a glutton and a drinker of wine; the form there is beutor.^[2][6] MDA2's first record is later, in Dosoftei's Lives of the Saints (1682–1686), where someone asks why he does not make merry with the other drinkers.^[3][11]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept the sense “someone who habitually drinks alcohol”, as a noun and as an adjective.^[5][11] A Mărgăritare of 1691 calls a murderer băutoriul de sânge “the drinker of blood”.^[11] With bun, mare or de forță it names someone who can drink a lot and hold it, as in Creangă: mâncători și băutori buni “good eaters and good drinkers”.^[12] Scriban defines it as one who drinks without getting drunk.^[4] In Muntenia it is also said of a wine that is pleasant to drink.^[13][2] NODEX allows a neutral use with the drink named: băutor de ceai “tea drinker”.^[14]

Timeline

• 1551–1553 – beutor in a Slavonic–Romanian Gospel book (Matthew 11:19), the first record.^[2][6]
• 1682–1686 – băutori in Dosoftei's Lives of the Saints.^[3][11]
• 1691 – băutoriul de sânge “the blood-drinker” in a Mărgăritare.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. A drinker, especially a heavy drinker of alcohol; bețiv.^[5][3][1]
2. With bun, mare: someone who can drink a great deal and hold his drink: E un băutor mare, dar nu se îmbată.^[12]

Adjective

1. Given to drink, boozy.^[5][1]
2. (regional, Muntenia) Of a wine: pleasant to drink.^[13]

Related words

• bea
• băutură
• băut

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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. bea
3. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 188
4. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 161
5. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 97
6. ^ a b c Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. băutor
7. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 75
8. ^ a b c Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. bea
9. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ Saramandu, Nicolae (coord.) et al. (2010–), Dicționarul dialectului meglenoromân, general și etimologic, fascicles in Fonetică și dialectologie XXIX–, p. 77
11. ^ a b c d e 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. bea
12. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 223
13. ^ a b Marin, Maria; Mărgărit, Iulia, Glosar dialectal. Muntenia, București: Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti”, p. 41
14. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. băutor