fenomen

Forms

fenomen n (plural fenomene)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French phénomène, the source DEX, MDA2 and Wiktionary give.^[2][3][1] The Marcu dictionary of neologisms also names Ancient Greek φαινόμενον (phainómenon), Tiktin the Greek word and Latin phaenomenum, and the DA calls it simply a word of Greek origin.^[4][5][6] The Greek word means “that which appears”: it is the participle of φαίνω (phaínō, “to show; to appear”).^[6][7] French borrowed it in 1557 from the plural φαινόμενα (phainómena), “visible constellations, celestial phenomena”, the title of a poem by Aratus.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from 1781, in a manuscript of Micu.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The first sense, close to the Greek one, was something new that appears in the air or the sky; by extension the effects seen in nature, and what surprises by its novelty or rarity, said of persons too.^[9] Scriban still puts first an extraordinary sight in the sky, such as a comet or the northern lights, and then a rare event or a surprisingly gifted person.^[7] The DA defines it as any change produced in nature or in ourselves, with astronomical, physical, chemical and mental phenomena, and by extension what surprises by its novelty or rarity.^[6] Barcianu glosses it with German Naturerscheinung “natural phenomenon”.^[10] Modern dictionaries put the philosophical sense first, the outward, directly perceptible form of a thing or process.^[2][3]

Tiktin records an old stress fenómen, which Scriban preferred, calling fenomén a false stress taken from French.^[5][7]

Timeline

• 1781 – first record, in a manuscript of Micu.^[5]
• 1870 – Costinescu spells it fenomenŭ and defines it as something new seen in the air or the sky.^[9]
• 1886 – Barcianu glosses it “natural phenomenon”.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A phenomenon: the outward form of a thing or process, which can be perceived directly.^[2][3]
2. A process, change or effect in nature or in society; a fact.^[2][3][11]
3. A thing, event or being that surprises by its qualities or novelty, a prodigy.^[2][7]
4. (colloquial) An odd, bizarre person.^[11]

Related words

• fenomenal
• French phénomène

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 388
3. ^ a b c d Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 893
4. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. fenomen
5. ^ a b c d Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. fenomen
6. ^ a b c Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. fenomen
7. ^ a b c d Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1, 500
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 1, 429
10. ^ a b Barcianu, Sava Popovici (1886), Dicționar român-germân și germân-român, revised by D. P. Barcianu, part I: român-germân, Sibiu: Institut tipografic, p. 225
11. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. fenomen