computer

Forms

computer n (plural computere)^[1] The plural is computere and, in the press, also computeri, the noun being treated as masculine as well; the word is pronounced with /pju/, as in English.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English computer,^{[4][3][5][6][1]} the agent noun of compute (“to calculate”).^[4] The English verb goes back to Latin computō (“to calculate, reckon”), formed con- + putō (“to reckon”),^[7] the source of the older Romanian computa “to calculate”, borrowed from French computer and Latin in the 19th century.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Hristea found records from 1968, and Dimitrescu's first quotation is from a paper of 5 November 1970, on the tasks that can be handed over to computers.^[2] DELR dates the word to the same 1970 quotation.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The word arrived as a technical anglicism beside calculator electronic and the French-based ordinator, and in the press of the 1970s it named the electronic machines that steer ships and plan forests.^[2][3] It soon formed compounds and derivatives: minicomputer (1969), computeriza “to computerize” (1984) and microcomputer (1988), all from English models.^[4] DEX 1998 also has computer familial “home computer”.^[8] MDA2 records the spelling compiuter.^[6]

Timeline

• 1968 – the first records, according to Hristea.^[2]
• 1969 – minicomputer.^[4]
• 1970 – computer “electronic calculator” in the press.^[2][4]
• 1974 – the plural computeri in Scînteia.^[2]
• 1984 – the verb computeriza.^[4]
• 1988 – microcomputer.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. A computer, an electronic calculating machine with memory; a synonym of ordinator and calculator.^[3][6][2]
2. Computer familial: a home microcomputer for educational, practical and entertainment uses.^[8][6]

Word family

• computeriza
• minicomputer
• microcomputer

Related words

• computa
• English compute

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. computer
3. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 214
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. computa
5. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. computer
6. ^ 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, 476
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan” (1998), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române, 2nd ed., București: Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 205