detecta

Forms

detecta (first-person singular present detectez, third-person singular present detectează, past participle detectat), 1st conjugation^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French détecter.^[2][3][4][1] According to DELR it is also borrowed from English detect, the source of the French verb.^[5] The English verb, first “to uncover, to reveal”, is from Latin dētegō (“to uncover”), past participle dētēctus, from tegō (“to cover, hide from view”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Constantinescu's Enciclopedia invențiunilor tehnice (1939), of a current detected by a radio receiver.^[5][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The verb entered as a technical term: to determine by technical means the presence of an object or phenomenon that the senses cannot perceive, such as an aircraft, a mine or a gas.^[5][4] By extension it means simply to find or discover, as a talent; the DLR quotes it in literary criticism and of people as well.^[4][6] Marcu also gives the radio sense “to carry out detection”.^[7]

Related technical words came in separately: detector (1921) and detecție (1937) are from French and English, and detectiv (1887) from German and French, from English.^[5] Romanian formed detectabil “detectable” (1956) on the verb.^[5]

Timeline

• 1887 – detectiv “detective”, borrowed separately.^[5]
• 1921 – detector.^[5]
• 1937 – detecție “detection”.^[5]
• 1939 – the verb, in the Enciclopedia invențiunilor tehnice.^[5][3]
• 1956 – detectabil “detectable” in Sanielevici.^[5]
• 1977 – teledetecție “remote sensing”.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To detect: to identify or establish the presence of something hidden from view or not directly perceptible, such as an aircraft, a mine or a gas.^[2][4][5]
2. By extension, to find, to discover: a detecta un talent “to spot a talent”.^[4][6]
3. (radio) To carry out detection, to demodulate a signal.^[7]

Word family

• detectabil
• detectabilitate

Related words

• detector
• detecție
• detectiv
• French détecter

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 303
3. ^ a b c Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 681
4. ^ a b c d e Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. detecta
6. ^ a b c Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. detecta
7. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual