bunică

Forms

bunică f (plural bunici, masculine equivalent bunic)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian bună + -ică, from the old word for a grandmother.^[2][3][4] MDA2 and Wiktionary's Romanian edition form it from bun with the same suffix,^[5][6] while Tiktin, the DA and the CADE make it the feminine of bunic (“grandfather”), as Wiktionary does.^[4][1] DELR gives both views.^[4]

That word comes from the phrase ⟨mamă bună⟩, literally “good mother”, as the old ⟨bun⟩ “grandfather” comes from ⟨tată bun⟩ “good father”;^[4] DELR compares French bon papa.^[4] The adjective “good” is from Latin bonus (“good”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word appears first as a personal name in 1577, a year before bunic.^[4][7] As a common noun meaning “grandmother” DELR dates it to a Bârlad document of 1831.^[4] MDA2's first record is Constantin Negruzzi, in a passage about an orphan girl brought up by her grandmother.^[5][8]

Semantic evolution

The older words for a grandmother were bună and mamă bună, which DEX still lists as synonyms beside mamaie, mamă-mare and buniță.^[4][2]

From the family sense came a respectful way of addressing any old woman, which Ispirescu uses for a Roma woman.^[8][9] The phrase (pe) când era bunica fată (mare) “when grandmother was a girl” means “long ago”.^[2][8]

Timeline

• 1577 – first record, as a personal name.^[4]
• 1578 – bunic, also a personal name.^[4]
• 1807 – bună “grandmother”.^[4]
• 1831 – bunică as a common noun, in a Bârlad document.^[4]
• 1872 – in Constantin Negruzzi's collected writings, MDA2's first record.^[5]
• 1893 – the diminutive bunicuță in Vlahuță.^[4]
• 1899 – buniță “grandmother”.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. grandmother: the mother of one's father or mother.^[2][5][1]
2. (colloquial) A form of address for an old woman.^[2][5]

Word family

• bunicuță

Related words

• bun
• bunic
• străbunică

Usage notes

The genitive-dative is bunicii, with the older or regional bunicăi and bunichii.^[10][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 126
3. ^ Dima, Eugenia (coord.) (2007), Dicționar explicativ ilustrat al limbii române, Chișinău: Arc / Gunivas, p. s.v. bunică
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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
5. ^ 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, 261
6. ^ Wikționar (Romanian Wiktionary), ro.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. bunică
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b c d 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
9. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 299
10. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. bunică