distrugere

Forms

distrugere f (plural distrugeri)^[1]

Etymology

It is the long infinitive of distruge (“to destroy”), formed from Romanian distruge + -re and used as a noun.^[2][3][1] MDA2, Marcu–Maneca and the DLR derive it from the verb as well.^[4][5][6]

The verb is a loan from Italian distruggere, according to Ciorănescu, Tiktin and Wiktionary.^[7][8][1] MDA2 adds French détruire.^[4] The Italian verb continues Latin dēstruō (“to pull down”), from struō (“to arrange, build”);^[9] DELR explains its ⟨gg⟩ by analogy with leggere and reggere, whose perfect and participle look like those of the Latin verb.^[9] The old variants destrui and distrui came from the French verb, with Latin as a model.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is of 1852.^[3] MDA2 and the DLR quote Codru-Drăgușanu's travel letters, on the underground forces of a volcano, the “seat of destruction and death”.^[4][6] The verb itself is recorded from 1848, in Negulici's vocabulary.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was devastation by nature or by people: storms and floods, wars and repression.^[4] The DLR quotes Ghica on the felling of forests (destrugere de păduri) and Eminescu on the Mongols' fury of destruction.^[6] MDA2 records narrower senses, the injury of parts of the body and killing, and figurative ones, the ruin of a fortune, of health or of peace of mind.^[4] Old variants were destrugere and destruire.^[4] The learned synonym distrucție, borrowed separately, is now rare.^[4]

Timeline

• 1848 – the verb distruge in Negulici's vocabulary.^[9]
• 1852 – distrugere, the first record cited by Tiktin.^[3]
• 1893 – distrugere “destruction” in Damé's dictionary.^[10]
• 1929 – autodistrugere “self-destruction” in Zarifopol.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. destruction: the act of destroying or of being destroyed, and its result; devastation, ruin.^[2][4][1]
2. Injury to parts of the body; killing.^[4]
3. (figurative) The loss of one's fortune, health or peace of mind.^[4]

Word family

• autodistrugere

Related words

• distruge
• distrucție

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 323
3. ^ 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. distrugere
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 732
5. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. distrugere
6. ^ a b c Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. distrugere
7. ^ Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. distruge
8. ^ Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. distruge
9. ^ 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. distruge
10. ^ Damé, Frédéric (1893–1895), Nouveau dictionnaire roumain-français, 4 vols., Bucarest: Imprimerie de l'État, p. s.v. distrugere