desigur

Forms

desigur (adverb)^[2]

Etymology

It is a univerbation from Romanian de + sigur (“sure, certain”), the preposition and the adjective written together as one word.^[3][2][4][1] MDA2 records the older spelling ⟨de sigur⟩.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2 gives as its first record a passage in Convorbiri literare, year IV, where the colours of a woman's dress are said to be “certainly” too bright side by side.^[3][4] The same quotation stands in the DLR, which however quotes Petru Maior first, with the sense “without doubt”, in an argument that concludes desigur trebuie să tragem concluzia “we must certainly conclude”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In the 19th-century writers the adverb means “without doubt, surely”, often at the head of a clause introduced by că: Desigur că balada a circulat odinioară pretutindeni “Surely the ballad once circulated everywhere” (Sadoveanu).^[4] From this assertive use it became a reply word meaning simply “yes, of course”, which DLRLC and DEX put first.^[5][2] Wiktionary labels it formal.^[1]

Timeline

• 1870-1871 – desigur “certainly” in Convorbiri literare, year IV, MDA2's first record.^[3][4]
• 1955 – DLRLC lists the reply sense “yes” as the first meaning.^[5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. yes, of course: used as an affirmative reply, as in Pot să iau cartea? – Desigur. “May I take the book? – Of course.”^[2][5]
2. Without doubt, certainly, surely; often followed by că and used as a predicate.^[2][4][6][1]

Related words

• sigur
• de
• bineînțeles

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 299
3. ^ 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, 666
4. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. desigur
5. ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 2, 72
6. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. desigur