demnitate

Forms

demnitate f (plural demnități)^[1] The older form dignitate kept the Latin vowel.^[2][3][4] DELR also records an old variant dignitet, from German.^[5]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, dignity”), adapted to the Romanian adjective demn.^{[6][7][2][3][1]} DELR and the neologism dictionaries also name borrowed from French dignité.^[5][8][9] The old variant dignitet is from German Dignität.^[5] The Latin noun is formed on dignus (“worthy”) with the suffix -tās.^[10]

Wiktionary calls dignitate a doublet of the word.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR and Tiktin date the first record to 1805, and DELR cites the form dignitate from Obradovici.^[5][2] MDA2 cites Țichindeal.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Negulici (1848) already gives both main senses: worth and importance, with cu demnitate “in a grave and noble manner”, and a considerable office or high rank.^[11] Tiktin glosses the singular as “dignity, virtue” and the plural as “important high state functions”.^[2] Laurian and Massim list honour, merit and rank among its senses.^[12] The sense of office survives, often in the plural, beside the moral one.^[6][7]

Timeline

• 1805 – the first record, with the variant dignitate.^[5][2]
• 1848 – in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms, with both main senses.^[11]
• 1854 – demnitar “high official”.^[5]
• 1862 – Pontbriant still gives dignitate beside it.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. dignity: the quality of being worthy, a dignified attitude; moral authority, prestige.^[6][7][1]
2. gravity, majesty of bearing.^[6][7]
3. A high office or post in the state; rank (plural demnități).^[6][7][1]

Related words

• demn
• demnitar
• Latin dignitās

Usage notes

The plural demnități is used only for the sense “high office”.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. demnitate
3. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună
4. ^ a b Pontbriant, Raoul de (1862), Dictiunaru romano-francesu, Bucuresci: A. Ulrich / Göttingen: Dieterich, p. 192
5. ^ a b c d e f 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. demn
6. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 287
7. ^ 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, 639
8. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual
9. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească
10. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
11. ^ a b Negulici, I. D. (1848), Vocabular romînesc de toate vorbele streine întroduse pînă acum în limba romînească și de toate cuvintele ce s-ar mai putea introduce încă, București
12. ^ Laurian, A. T.; Massim, I. C. (1871–1876), Dictionariulu limbei romane, 2 vols., Bucuresci: Noua Typographia a Laboratoriloru Romani