efect

Forms

efect n (plural efecte)^[1] The early 19th century had a plural efecturi: „după moduri și efecturi” “according to modes and effects” (Poteca).^[2][3] A variant efet occurs in a manual of mechanics: „spre acest efet” “to this effect”.^[2][4] Other old variants are efept, efectuș and the Latinizing spelling effect.^[4][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin effectus, also borrowed from French effet.^[4][1][5] DELR adds German Effekt, and the variant efept shows Romanian adaptation.^[4] Ciorănescu derives it from Latin through French, while DEX and Wiktionary give Latin with some senses taken from French.^[6][5][1] Tiktin and MDA2 name both.^[7][3]

The Latin noun is formed from efficiō (“to bring about, accomplish”), itself from ex- and faciō (“to make, do”).^[4][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a document of 1736 from the Șchei collection.^[4][7] MDA2 dates the word to 1825, in Teodori's account of the human body, where medicines fulfil their purpose or “effect”.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is the result of a cause or action.^[5][4] Later it took on senses of French effet: the impression made on someone, in painting and the theatre the striking effect of a work, and in the plural movable goods, military clothing and commercial paper.^[4][5][9] De efect “impressive” and a face efect “to impress” are set phrases.^[5] In sport the word names the spin that makes a ball curve.^[4][10]

The derivatives were also borrowed: efectiv (about 1832) and efectua “to carry out” (1855) from French.^[4][6]

Timeline

• 1736 – the first record, in a document.^[4][7]
• 1825 – efectul in Teodori's account of the human body.^[3][2]
• c. 1832 – efectiv “effective”.^[4]
• 1845 – the variant efectui “to carry out”.^[4]
• 1855 – efectua “to carry out”.^[4]
• 1870 – Costinescu's dictionary gives the sense of a painting's effect on the viewer.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. effect: what follows necessarily from a cause; a result, a consequence.^[5][1] A-și face efectul means “to have the expected result”.^[5][3][1]
2. An impression made on someone, as in de efect “striking”, a face efect “to impress” and efect sonor “sound effect”.^[5][3]
3. (sports) spin given to a ball so that it follows an unusual path.^[4][10]
4. (in the plural) Movable goods; military clothing and equipment.^[5][4]
5. (finance, in the plural) Negotiable securities: efecte de comerț, efecte publice.^[5][11]

Word family

• efectiv
• efectua

Related words

• face
• eficace
• Latin effectus

Usage notes

Newer set phrases include efect de seră “greenhouse effect” and efect de domino “domino effect”, recorded in the press from the 1980s and 1990s.^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. efect
3. ^ 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, 789
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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. efect
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 343
6. ^ a b 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. efect
7. ^ 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. efect
8. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 1, 371
10. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. efect
11. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. efect
12. ^ Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE)