electronic

Forms

electronic m or n (feminine singular electronică, masculine plural electronici, feminine/neuter plural electronice)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French électronique and English electronic, a term probably introduced by the English physicist John Ambrose Fleming.^[2][3][4][1] Most Romanian dictionaries name only the French word.^[3][5][6] It belongs to the family of electron, with the suffix -ic.^[2][1] The noun electronică “electronics” is from the same French word and German Elektronik.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record is in the newspaper Universul of 19 October 1906; its early sense, now obsolete, described theories built on the concept of the electron.^[2] MDA2's first record is later, in a technical encyclopedia of 1939 that names Lorentz as the creator of the electron theory.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

The adjective first meant “of or made of electrons” in physics, and then “using free electrons” of devices and techniques; the noun electronică is recorded from 1929 in the magazine Radio.^[2][5] Mașini electronice de calcul “electronic computers” is quoted from 1965, and muzică electronică names music made with synthesizers, tape recorders and computers.^[5][2]

Timeline

• 1906 – first record, in Universul.^[2]
• 1929 – the noun electronică “electronics”, in Radio.^[2]
• 1939 – teoria electronică “electron theory” in a technical encyclopedia.^[3][5]
• 1956 – electronician “electronics technician”, now out of use.^[2]
• 1965 – mașini electronice de calcul “electronic computers”.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or relating to electrons or to electronics.^[4][3]
2. Electronic: working by or used in electronics, as in calculator electronic “computer” or microscop electronic “electron microscope”.^[7][3][1]
3. In muzică electronică, music made with electronic means of sound production, recording and playback.^[6][5]

Related words

• electron
• electronică

Usage notes

The feminine electronică is also a noun: the science of the motion of charged particles and the devices based on it, and the branch of engineering that makes such devices.^[4][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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. electron
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, 798
4. ^ a b c DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 348
5. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. electronic
6. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. electronic
7. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. electronic