citat

Forms

citat n (plural citate)^[1] An old variant is țitat, and MDA2 records an old plural citaturi.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from German Zitat, with its form remade after the verb cita “to quote”.^[1][3][4] DELR presents it rather as a formation on the verb after the German model.^[2] The German noun dates from about 1700 and first kept a Latin plural: it is the neuter past participle, used as a noun, from Latin citō (“to summon, call upon”),^[5] a verb formed on cieō (“to set in motion”).^[5] The verb itself comes from French citer, with Latin as a second model.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR dates the noun, in the sense “a passage quoted from a work”, to 1833.^[2] MDA2's first record is in Titu Maiorescu's Critice, from 1867 on.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its first sense, a passage reproduced exactly with its source; in older use it could also mean a summons and a mention, the senses of citație.^[3] Scriban explains it as the participle of a cita with German Citat behind it.^[6] In music it is also a melodic or rhythmic figure borrowed from another work.^[7][8] Its derivative citatomanie “the habit of quoting too much” is recorded from 1961.^[2]

Timeline

• 1833 – citat “quoted passage”, the first record.^[2]
• 1867 – in Maiorescu's Critice.^[3]
• 1886 – Barcianu glosses it with German Citat.^[9]
• 1961 – the derivative citatomanie.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A quotation: a passage reproduced exactly from a written work, usually with its source, to support or illustrate an idea; citație.^[1][10]
2. (music) A melodic or rhythmic figure borrowed from another work.^[7][8]
3. (dated) A summons; a mention.^[3]

Word family

• citatomanie

Related words

• cita
• citație
• German Zitat

Usage notes

The same spelling is the past participle and adjective of cita (DEX citat²): “mentioned, quoted” and, of persons, “summoned before a court or an authority as a witness or party”.^[1][3] It inflects as an adjective (citată, citați, citate), while the noun has only the plural citate.^[1][11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 189
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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. cita
3. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 416
4. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. citat
5. ^ a b Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de, p. s.v. zitieren
6. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 288
7. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România
8. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual
9. ^ Barcianu, Sava Popovici (1886), Dicționar român-germân și germân-român, revised by D. P. Barcianu, part I: român-germân, Sibiu: Institut tipografic, p. 109
10. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org