duș

Forms

duș n (plural dușuri)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French douche (“shower”), as DER, DELR, MDA2, DEX and Tiktin agree.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Marcu's neologism dictionary names Russian душ (duš) as a second source.^[7] The French word, borrowed around 1580, is from Italian doccia (“jet of water on the body”), a noun from docciare (“to pour in a jet”), itself from the noun for “pipe”, which may go back to Latin ductiō (“conduit”).^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, of 1839 in the Buletin, is spelled ducșse; in 1840 Carol Munde's description of a cold-water cure establishment has dușă, and the form duș appears in 1847 in C. Vârnav.^[3][6][4] CADE still defines it as a jet of water or steam directed on part of the body.^[9]

Semantic evolution

From the jet of water the word passed to the fitting that produces it and to washing under it: a face duș “to take a shower”.^[3][5] The figurative duș rece “cold shower” is unwelcome news or a rebuff that dampens someone's enthusiasm;^[3][4][9] CADE glosses it as a harsh and unexpected answer.^[3][4][9] The verb dușa “to give a shower”, from French doucher, is recorded in 1840 and is now rare.^[3]

Timeline

• 1839 – ducșse, the first record.^[3][6]
• 1840 – dușă and the verb dușa in Munde's description of a water cure.^[3][4]
• 1847 – the form duș in C. Vârnav.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A shower: a fitting that sends out many small adjustable jets of water at once.^[5][4][1]
2. The jets of water from a shower; by extension, washing under it: a face duș “to take a shower”.^[5][3]
3. (figurative) Unexpected and unpleasant news, words or events;^[5][4] duș rece “a cold shower”, a sharp rebuff or disappointment.^[5][4]

Word family

• dușa

Usage notes

A separate, older duș (masculine, mostly in the plural duși), from Old Church Slavonic душа (duša, “soul”), means “mood, humour, whim” in popular speech; it is recorded from 1750, in phrases such as a fi în duși răi “to be in a bad temper”.^[4][10]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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. duș
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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. duș
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 777
5. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 337
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. duș
7. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. duș
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. duș
10. ^ Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. duș