flux

Forms

flux n (plural fluxuri)^[1] Negulici's dictionary of 1848 prints it in the transitional alphabet as FΛꙊКS.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French flux, with Latin fluxus (“a flowing”) as a second model: MDA2, Wiktionary and the DLRM give French, Tiktin and Scriban Latin, and NODEX both.^{[3][1][4][5][6][7]} The DA calls it a word of Latin origin.^[8] The French word was borrowed in 1306 from the Latin noun, which is formed on the supine of fluō (“to flow”).^[9] Graur lists it in the Latin family of that verb with fluid, fluviu and afluent.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is of 1785, with the sense “flood tide”.^[5] Negulici defines it in 1848 as the alternating, regular swelling of the ocean and the seas.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Costinescu adds in 1870 a chemical sense, a substance that makes another melt, and a medical one, the discharge of humours.^[11] Scriban also has a medical flux de sânge and the figurative “abundance” in flux de vorbe.^[6] Zamfirescu writes of a rush of blood rising to the brain.^[8][3] Physics gave it the sense “current of particles” and the terms flux luminos, flux electric and flux magnetic.^[12][13] In industry, flux tehnologic and producție în flux name continuous production; the press of 1982 has în flux “on the assembly line”.^[12][14]

Timeline

• 1785 – the first record.^[5]
• 1848 – Negulici defines it as the tide.^[2]
• 1870 – the chemical and medical senses in Costinescu.^[11]
• 1902 – the figurative “rush of blood” in Zamfirescu.^[3][8]
• 1931 – flux de vorbe “flood of words” in CADE.^[15]
• 1982 – în flux “on the assembly line” in the press.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. flood tide: the phase of the periodic rise of the ocean or open sea in the tide, opposed to reflux.^[12][3][1]
2. (figurative) A strong outpouring, a surge: flux verbal “a torrent of words”.^[12][3]
3. (physics) A current of particles;^[12][3] flux luminos “luminous flux”, flux magnetic “magnetic flux”, densitate de flux “flux density”.^[12][3]
4. Flux tehnologic: the continuous movement of raw materials and semi-finished products through the stages of a production process;^[12][14] producție în flux “flow production”.^[12][14]

Related words

• reflux
• fluid
• fluviu
• Latin fluxus

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Negulici, I. D. (1848), Vocabular romînesc de toate vorbele streine întroduse pînă acum în limba romînească și de toate cuvintele ce s-ar mai putea introduce încă, București, p. s.v. flux
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, 922
4. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. s.v. flux
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. flux
6. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 517
7. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. flux
8. ^ 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. flux
9. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Graur, Alexandru (1980), Cuvinte înrudite, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică
11. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 1, 448
12. ^ 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. 402
13. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. flux
14. ^ a b c d Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. flux
15. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. flux