fizică

Forms

fizică f (genitive/dative singular fizicii)^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French physique, and the neologism dictionaries name Latin physica as a second model.^[2][3] DEX and MDA2 treat the noun as a sense of the adjective fizic, which they take from French.^[4][5] Tiktin, who dates the noun to 1705, derives it from the Greek or Latin word, and the DA calls the adjective a neologism of Greek origin.^[6][7]

The Latin word continues Ancient Greek φυσικός (phusikós, “natural, concerning nature”), a derivative of φύσις (phúsis, “nature”).^[2][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from 1705, in Dimitrie Cantemir's Istoria ieroglifică, where it names the study of nature.^[6][9] The DA's first quotation for the noun as the science of matter comes from a physics manual by Petru Poni.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Early dictionaries define it as the science of the properties of bodies and of the changes that leave their nature intact, and also as a book that teaches it.^[9][10] CADE also records fizică cerească “celestial physics” for a science that joined physics and astronomy.^[10] The modern definition speaks of the structure of matter, its forms of motion and the general laws of inorganic nature.^[4][5] The twentieth century added the branches fizică atomică and fizică nucleară.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 1705 – fizică in Dimitrie Cantemir's Istoria ieroglifică, the first record.^[6]
• 1872 – the adjective fizic in Constantin Negruzzi's writings, MDA2's first record for the family.^[5]
• 1929 – Șăineanu defines it as the science of the properties of bodies.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. physics: the natural science of the structure and properties of matter, its forms of motion and the general laws of inorganic nature.^[4][5][3]
2. A textbook of physics.^[4][5][11]

Related words

• fizic
• fizician

Usage notes

Its branches are named with adjectives: fizică atomică (the physics of atoms) and fizică nucleară (the physics of the atomic nucleus).^[5][2]

References

1. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. fizică
2. ^ a b c d e Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. fizică
3. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
4. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 398
5. ^ 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, 912
6. ^ 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. fizică
7. ^ a b 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. fizic
8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 253
10. ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. fizică
11. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 2, 298