binecuvântare

Forms

binecuvântare f (plural binecuvântări)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian binecuvânta + -re, on the model of Old Church Slavonic благословениѥ (blagoslovenije, “blessing”).^[2][1] The verb binecuvânta “to bless” is a compound of bine “well” and cuvânta “to speak”, made after благословити (blagosloviti) and Ancient Greek εὐλογέω (eulogéō);^[2][3][4] Latin benedīcō is built the same way.^[2][3][4] The Slavonic verb is itself a calque of the Greek one.^[5]

Ciorănescu notes that church language still feels the parts of the compound and can separate them, as in the liturgical phrase “bine este cuvântat cel ce vine întru numele Domnului” “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”.^[3] Older Romanian also had bunăcuvântare, formed on cuvântare, in Dosoftei's Psalter of 1673.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record of the noun is in Teodor Corbea's Latin–Romanian dictionary of 1691–1697, under benedictum, with the sense “outpouring of divine grace”.^[2] Tiktin's earliest record is of 1703.^[6] The verb is older: the Codicele Voronețean (c. 1563–1583) spells it binrecăvăntăndu.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The noun names both God's grace and the act, words or gesture of a priest who blesses.^[7][8] It also means a wish for someone's prosperity that calls on God, and in older use praise and thanks to God.^[7] From the priest's blessing comes a (-și) da binecuvântarea “to give one's approval”.^[9][10] In current use it can name anything welcome, a godsend.^[11]

Timeline

• c. 1563–1583 – the verb, spelled binrecăvăntăndu, in the Codicele Voronețean.^[2]
• 1673 – bunăcuvântare in Dosoftei's Psalter.^[2]
• 1691–1697 – binecuvântare in Teodor Corbea's dictionary.^[2]
• 1703 – Tiktin's earliest record.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. The act, words or gesture of blessing; blessing, blagoslovenie.^[10][8]
2. The pouring out of divine grace.^[7]
3. A wish for someone's happiness and prosperity that calls on God.^[7]
4. (figurative) Something welcome, a godsend: ploaia de azi a fost o binecuvântare “today's rain was a blessing”.^[11]

Related words

• binecuvânta
• blagoslovi
• cuvânt

Usage notes

A (-și) da binecuvântarea means “to agree, to approve”, and sub binecuvântarea cuiva “with someone's approval”.^[10][8]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. cuvânt
3. ^ 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. binecuvînta
4. ^ a b 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. binecuvânta
5. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress
6. ^ a b Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. binecuvântare
7. ^ 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, 207
8. ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 238
9. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 80
10. ^ a b c DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 104
11. ^ a b Dima, Eugenia (coord.) (2007), Dicționar explicativ ilustrat al limbii române, Chișinău: Arc / Gunivas, p. s.v. binecuvîntare