entuziasm

Forms

entuziasm n (plural entuziasme)^[1] The early forms were many: entusiasmós, entusiásm, entusiásmus, entusiázm, entuziázm, intusiásm and întusiásm.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French enthousiasme, borrowed from German Enthusiasmus, with New Latin enthusiasmus, according to DELR; the DLR names Modern Greek, French, German and Italian, Tiktin Modern Greek and French, and DEX French alone.^[2][4][5][6] The old variant with the Greek ending ⟨-os⟩ is from Modern Greek ενθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós).^[2] Marcu and Maneca add Italian entusiasmo.^[7]

The source of them all is Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós, “divine inspiration”), from ἐνθουσιάζω (enthousiázō, “to be inspired by a god”), from ἔνθεος (éntheos, “possessed by a god”), made of ἐν (en, “in”) and θεός (theós, “god”).^[2][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record is entusiasmós in a translation of 1791, quoted in Adamescu's study of neologisms; the form entuziasm appears in 1800, in Piuariu-Molnar.^[2][5] Molnar uses it for a people seized by the zeal of a false faith.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was the mystical exaltation of prophets and inspired persons, the sense of the Greek word.^[2][3] In 1827 Golescu's translation of Vamva's moral philosophy calls fanaticism „un entusiazm fără cuvânt” “an unreasoning enthusiasm”.^[4][3] From the 1830s the word means the strong feeling of joy and ardour aroused by passion, admiration or an ideal.^[4][3][9] The verb entuziasma is recorded from 1844, entuziast from 1831; recent formations are euroentuziast (1992) and euroentuziasm (1995).^[2]

Timeline

• 1791 – entusiasmós, in a translation.^[2][5]
• 1800 – entuziasm in Piuariu-Molnar.^[2]
• 1825 – the verb entusiasi “to inspire”, from Modern Greek.^[2]
• 1827 – entusiazm in Golescu's translation of Vamva, MDA2's first record.^[3][4]
• 1831 – entuziast.^[2]
• 1844 – the verb entuziasma, from French.^[2]
• 1995 – euroentuziasm, enthusiasm for the European Union.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. enthusiasm: a state of strong elation showing itself in joy; avânt, înflăcărare.^[6][3]
2. Cu entuziasm: enthusiastically.^[3]
3. Passion, fervour in speech; exaltare.^[6][3]
4. (obsolete) The mystical exaltation of the prophets.^[3][2]

Word family

• entuziasma
• entuziastic
• entuziast
• entuziasmant

Related words

• Ancient Greek ἐνθουσιασμός (enthousiasmós)

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. entuziasm
3. ^ 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, 815
4. ^ a b c d e Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. entuziasm
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. entuziasm
6. ^ a b c DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 355
7. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. entuziasm
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert, p. s.v. enthousiasme
9. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. entuziasm