discurs

Forms

discurs n (plural discursuri)^[1] The first form is discors, in Ianache Văcărescu's history: „luând înștiințare de aceste discorsuri” “learning of these speeches” (of Muhammad).^[2][3] Transylvanian texts had dișcurs.^[3] The old plural discurse alternates with discursuri.^[4][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French discours, with New Latin discursus as a second source in DELR, DEX and MDA2.^[3][5][4] The early variant ⟨discors⟩ is borrowed from Italian discorso.^[3][6] Latin discursus meant “running to and fro” and in Late Latin “discourse, conversation”; it comes from discurrō (“to run about”), whose sense “to treat a subject” is a calque of Ancient Greek διέρχομαι (diérkhomai).^[3][1] The verb is formed from Latin dis- + currō.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin dates the word to 1793 and DELR to 1794, both in Ianache Văcărescu's history of the Ottoman emperors, in the form discors and the sense “speech”.^[6][3][2] A calendar of 1794 already has discursul.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The main sense has always been a speech given before an audience.^[2][5] In the old language it could also mean a conversation.^[3] A written treatise on a scholarly or literary subject, after French usage, is now dated.^[5] Modern linguistics added the sense “discourse”, a sequence of utterances above the level of the sentence, and the set of statements typical of an ideology or field.^[3][4]

Transylvanian writers also used the verb discurirui “to discuss”, from German diskurrieren (1814).^[3]

Timeline

• 1793 – discors in Ianache Văcărescu.^[6]
• 1794 – discursul in a calendar.^[2][3]
• 1814 – the verb discurirui “to discuss” in Țichindeal.^[3]
• 1848 – listed in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms.^[7]
• 1870 – discursiv “discursive”.^[3]
• 1974 – metadiscurs.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A speech: an address given before an audience on a political, moral or other subject.^[5][4][1]
2. (dated) A written treatment of a scholarly or literary subject.^[5]
3. (linguistics) discourse: a stretch of language above the sentence; language as actually used, spoken or written.^[4][3]
4. The statements typical of an ideology, a mentality or a field: discursul politic.^[4]
5. (colloquial) A lecture, a sermon.^[4]

Related words

• curs
• concurs
• Latin discursus

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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. discurs
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. discurs
4. ^ 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, 725
5. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 319
6. ^ a b c Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. discurs
7. ^ 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, p. s.v. discurs