economisi

Forms

economisi (third-person singular present economisește, past participle economisit) 4th conjugation^[1] The older and popular form is iconomisi, which reflects the Modern Greek pronunciation: Dionisie's chronicle says that the prince, having appointed the boyars of the Divan, took care „să iconomisască de a fi țara în liniște” “to arrange that the country should be at peace”.^[2][3][4] Drăghici uses it of sparing the draught animals: „Plugul de va fi sprinten ... iconomisește boii” “if the plough is light, it spares the oxen”.^[5][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Modern Greek οικονομώ (oikonomó, “to manage, to save”), through its aorist οικονόμησα (oikonómisa).^[6][7][1] DELR, MDA2 and Tiktin name only the Greek verb;^[7][3][5] the DLR adds French économiser as a second model for the modern form with ⟨e-⟩.^[2]

The Greek verb continues Ancient Greek οἰκονομέω (oikonoméō, “to manage a household, to regulate”),^[7] formed from οἰκονόμος (oikonómos, “steward, manager”).^[1][7] It belongs to the same Greek family as economie and econom.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record is iconomisi in Dosoftei, 1686.^[7] DELR points out that Tiktin's earlier date, a document of 1674, is a mistake: the document is from 1774.^[7][5] The old texts use the verb for arranging, organising and administering affairs: the DLR quotes a 1774 petition asking for the imperial promise to be kept, „economisind mântuirea noastră” “arranging our salvation”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

From “to arrange, administer” the verb moved to the careful use of money and goods, the main modern sense; in the 19th century both senses were current, and the DLR quotes iconomisi for putting money aside from the 1830s.^[2][3] Figuratively it means “not to waste”, of words or effort.^[8][3] The old senses “to organise, to dispose” survive only as dated uses.^[3][2] Șăineanu still lists “to administer” as a figurative sense in 1929.^[9]

The rarer economiza was used beside it in the same senses.^[3][2]

Timeline

• 1686 – iconomisi in Dosoftei, the first record.^[7]
• 1773 – in the Romanian translation of Catherine II's instruction for a new law code.^[3]
• 1774 – economisind “arranging” in a petition.^[2]
• 1840 – the derivative economisitor “thrifty, saving”.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To use money or other material means with thrift, to save: A economisit din salariu ca să-și cumpere o mașină.^[6][10]
2. To put aside, to accumulate savings;^[6][3] Romanian agonisi.^[6][3]
3. (figurative) To spare, not to waste: a economisi timpul “to save time”.^[8][3]
4. (dated) To arrange, organise, administer.^[3][2]

Word family

• economisitor

Related words

• economie
• econom
• economiza

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. economisi
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 785
4. ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. economisi
5. ^ 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. economisí
6. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 341
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. economie
8. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 2, 196
9. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 226
10. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. economisi