căcat

Forms

căcat m (plural căcați)^[1] In the sense “trifles, worthless things” the noun is neuter, with the plural căcaturi.^[2][3] In the east the word is pronounced câcat.^[4][5][6]

Etymology

Used as a noun, it is the past participle from Romanian căca (“to defecate”), as DELR, after Candrea–Densusianu, the DA and Tiktin, and DEX and MDA2 explain it.^{[6][5][2][7][1]} The verb continues Latin cacō (“to defecate”).^[6][8] Ciorănescu and CADE derive the noun directly from cacātus, the Latin participle.^[9][10][6]

The noun exists in Aromanian cãcat and Istro-Romanian cacåt, and DELR records it in Megleno-Romanian too.^[6][11] Pascu compares Italian cacata, Catalan cagat, Spanish cagado and Portuguese cagado.^[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin and DELR date the first record to 1573, in a place name, Căcata, in a document.^[5][6] MDA2's first record is the Romanian–Latin glossary called the Anonymus Caransebesiensis, of about 1650–1700, with the sense “excrement”.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is the excrement of people and animals;^[7][4] Scriban mentions fly droppings on window panes.^[7][4] Barcianu's dictionary of 1886 gives the plant name căcatul dracului, glossed German Teufelsdreck.^[13] By extension the word came to mean a worthless thing, and in the plural trifles or nonsense;^[7][4][11] Aromanian has the same sense.^[7][4][11] Slang uses it for a contemptible person and as an interjection of scornful denial.^[3][1]

Set phrases are căcat cu ochi “a worthless person, especially a child” and a mânca căcat “to tell lies”.^[2][7] The derivative căcățiș means “trifle, nothing”, and cáciță “fly larvae” (1903) is a blend of the noun with mușiță.^[9][6]

Timeline

• 1573 – the place name Căcata, the first record.^[5][6]
• c. 1650–1700 – “excrement” in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis glossary.^[7]
• 1886 – the plant name căcatul dracului in Barcianu's dictionary.^[13]
• 1903 – the blend cáciță “fly larvae”.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. (vulgar) excrement, shit: Pe trotuar era căcat de câine. Căcat cu ochi: a worthless person, especially a child.^[2][7][1]
2. (vulgar) A worthless thing; in the plural căcaturi, trifles, rubbish, nonsense.^[2][3][1]
3. (vulgar slang) A contemptible person.^[3][1]

Interjection

1. (vulgar slang) Expresses scornful denial or disbelief: “no way!”.^[3]

Word family

• căcățiș

Related words

• căca
• Aromanian cãcat

Usage notes

DEX labels the word popular, and the dictionaries of slang treat it as vulgar.^[2][3] A mânca căcat means “to lie”.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 155
3. ^ a b c d e f Volceanov, George (2007), Dicționar de argou al limbii române, București: Niculescu, p. s.v. căcat
4. ^ a b c d e Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 243
5. ^ 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. căcat
6. ^ 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. căca
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 316
8. ^ 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. căca
9. ^ a b 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. căcat
10. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. căcat
11. ^ a b c Papahagi, Tache (1963), Dicționarul dialectului aromân, general și etimologic, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 254
12. ^ Pascu, Giorge (1925), Dictionnaire étymologique macédoroumain, 2 vols. (I: Les éléments latins et romans; II: Les éléments grecs, turcs, slaves, albanais, germaniques, magyars, néologismes, créations immédiates, obscurs), Iași: Cultura Națională, p. 1, 59
13. ^ a b Barcianu, Sava Popovici (1886), Dicționar român-germân și germân-român, revised by D. P. Barcianu, part I: român-germân, Sibiu: Institut tipografic, p. 72