bunic

Forms

bunic m (plural bunici)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian bun (“grandfather”) + -ic, a diminutive.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} The DLRM and DELR take as its base the noun meaning “grandfather”, not the adjective meaning “good”.^[6][5]

That noun is explained in two ways.^[5][7] DELR, after Pușcariu, Candrea and Densusianu, Tiktin and the DA, takes it from the phrase tată bun (“good father”), comparing French bon papa and a German dialect form beste Vater (“grandfather”).^[5] Ciorănescu instead reconstructs Vulgar Latin *avunus, from the root of Latin avus (“grandfather”) that survives in avunculus (“maternal uncle”), soon confused with bonus (“good”).^[7] Both compare Piedmontese bon (“grandfather”) and bona (“grandmother”).^[5][7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Like the feminine bunică (1577), bunic is first recorded as a personal name, in 1578, in the Slavonic–Romanian documents.^[5][9] As a common noun for the father of one's father or mother DELR dates it after 1800, from a manuscript.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The plain nouns bun “grandfather” (after 1762) and bună “grandmother” (1807) are recorded alongside, and the diminutives bunel and bunicuță grew around it.^[5][4] In the plural it means the grandparents and by extension the ancestors, and it is a respectful way to address an old man.^[2][4] Scriban noted that in Muntenia tata mare and mama mare, modelled on French, were used instead.^[10]

A folk saying dates something very old to the time de când bunicul (era) flăcău “when grandfather was a young lad”.^[11][4]

Timeline

• 1577 – bunică as a personal name.^[5]
• 1578 – bunic as a personal name, the first record.^[5]
• after 1762 – the simple noun bun “grandfather”.^[5]
• after 1800 – bunic as a common noun.^[5]
• 1845 – străbunic “great-grandfather”.^[5]
• 1872 – in Constantin Negruzzi's collected writings, MDA2's first record.^[3][4]
• 1895 – străbunică “great-grandmother”.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. grandfather: the father of one's father or mother; bunel.^[2][3][1]
2. (in the plural) grandparents.^[2][1]
3. (in the plural, by extension) forefathers, ancestors.^[2][3]
4. (regional) A form of address to an old man.^[2][4]

Word family

• bunică
• bunicuț
• străbunic

Related words

• bun
• bunel

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 126
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, 261
4. ^ 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. bunic
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. bun
6. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 101
7. ^ 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. bun
8. ^ Ungureanu, Dan (2024), Istoria limbii române, Chișinău: Cartier, p. 318
9. ^ Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. bunic
10. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 207
11. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. bunic