chinezesc

Forms

chinezesc m or n (feminine singular chinezească, plural chinezești)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian chinez + -esc, from the adjective and noun for “Chinese”, as the DEX, MDA2, the DLRM and Wiktionary give it.^[2][3][4][1] DELR sees it instead as an adaptation of German chinesisch and Italian cinese, with the initial changed after the place name China and the ending fitted to the Romanian adjectives in -esc; it notes that the DA and the DEX derive it from the name of the country.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR dates the adjective to 1802, in a text of Beldiman.^[5] MDA2's first record is from Constantin Negruzzi's writings, collected in 1872: „o galerie de scînduri în felul chinezesc” “a wooden gallery in the Chinese manner”.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

The adjective means belonging to China or the Chinese, and it is used as a synonym of chinez.^[2][6] Two set phrases took their own senses.^[2] Zidul chinezesc “the Chinese wall”, the Great Wall, came to mean figuratively a strict barrier against new influences from outside;^[4][7][8] Scriban and Șăineanu already gave this figurative sense.^[4][7][8] Umbre chinezești “Chinese shadows” are the shapes thrown on a wall or screen by the hands and fingers; Șăineanu described them as a show of figures cut from paper passed behind a transparent screen.^[2][8]

Timeline

• 1802 – first record, in Beldiman.^[5]
• 1841 – chinicesc, an old adjective for “Chinese” formed on the name of the country.^[5]
• 1852 – the adverb chinezește “in the Chinese way”.^[5]
• 1872 – in Negruzzi's collected writings, MDA2's first record.^[3]
• 1886 – in Barcianu's Romanian–German dictionary, with the adverb.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. chinese: of China or the Chinese; chinez: o vază chinezească.^[2][3]

Word family

• chinezește

Related words

• chinez
• chinezărie
• China

Usage notes

Marele zid chinezesc is the Great Wall, and figuratively a barrier set against new ideas;^[2][3] umbre chinezești are shadow figures made with the hands on a wall or screen.^[2][3] The plural, for all genders, is chinezești.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 179
3. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 382
4. ^ a b c Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 140
5. ^ a b c d e 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. chinéz
6. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 411
7. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 270
8. ^ a b c Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 125
9. ^ Barcianu, Sava Popovici (1886), Dicționar român-germân și germân-român, revised by D. P. Barcianu, part I: român-germân, Sibiu: Institut tipografic, p. 100