euro

Forms

euro m (plural euro)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French euro, the name of the single European currency.^[2][3][1] The DLR and DELR add borrowed from English euro as a second source, and DELR traces the name to that of the continent, Europe.^[4][5] MDA2 and Dimitrescu's dictionary of recent words call it an international word.^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is of 20 December 1995, in România liberă, which reported that the last summit of the fifteen member states had settled the name of the single currency.^[7][6] DELR gives the same date but names România literară.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In 1996 a newspaper still wondered whether the plural should be euri; the standard plural is invariable euro, and the colloquial euroi, at first ironic, is recorded from 2002.^[7][4][5] The coins and notes came into circulation in 2002, and the word has been used for the coins and notes as well as the unit.^[2][4] It soon formed a family: euroizare “adoption of the euro by a country outside the euro area”, from English, and the verb euroiza made from it (both 1999), and eurocent (2000), from English and French.^[5]

Timeline

• 1995 – first record, in a report on the summit that named the currency.^[7][6][5]
• 1996 – a newspaper asks whether the plural is euri.^[7]
• 1999 – euroizare and euroiza.^[5]
• 2000 – eurocent, first written euro-cent.^[5]
• 2002 – the currency enters circulation; the colloquial euroi.^[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The euro: the single currency of most countries of the European Union, divided into a hundred cents and in circulation since 2002; a coin or note of it: Am schimbat o sută de euro la bancă.^[2][4][1]

Word family

• eurocent
• euroiza
• euroizare

Usage notes

DEX and DLR spell out the pronunciation e-u-ro, in three syllables.^[2][4] The plural is euro.^[4] DEX lists a separate euro¹, the combining element euro- “in or from Europe, specific to Europe”, from French euro-;^[2][6] MDA2 first records it in 1997.^[2][6] This entry is DEX's euro², the currency.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 365
3. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. euro
4. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. euro
5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. euro
6. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 844
7. ^ a b c d e Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. euro