fugaci

Forms

fugaci m or n (feminine singular fugace, masculine plural fugaci, feminine/neuter plural fugace)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin fugāx (“apt to flee, swift”) in the view of DEX, MDA2, Tiktin and Candrea–Densusianu.^[2][3][4][5] The Latin adjective is formed on fugiō (“to flee”) with the suffix -āx (“inclined to”).^[1][6] Ciorănescu grants the Latin origin as possible, but thinks the word more likely a Romanian formation on fugă with the suffix -aci, like trăgaci and stângaci;^[7] Graur also argued against the Latin source.^[7] For the bookish sense “fleeting” DEX and MDA2 compare French fugace.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Mardarie's Slavonic–Romanian lexicon of 1649.^[4][3] Tiktin defines the early adjective as “fleet-footed, nimble”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The word is used above all of horses: a cal fugaci runs fast, and folk poetry praises horses „mai sprinteni și mai fugaci” “nimbler and swifter”.^[4][8] As a noun it came to mean a racehorse and then any horse.^[4][2] Costinescu in 1870 used it of horses that run fast and of a servant who moves quickly.^[9]

The figurative sense “passing, fleeting” is literary and goes with French fugace.^[2] As a noun it also names several migratory birds about the size of a pigeon with long, quick legs.^[2] MDA2 adds a dye that washes out and, regionally, the plant Salsola kali.^[3]

Timeline

• 1649 – fugaci in Mardarie's lexicon, the first record.^[4][3]
• 1801 – fugáciu in Klein's dictionary.^[10]
• 1870 – Costinescu: of fast horses and of a quick servant.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of horses: running fast, a good runner; fugar: Avea un murg fugaci.^[2][3]
2. (figurative, literary) Passing, fleeting; fugitiv.^[2][11]
3. Of a dye: that washes out.^[3]

Noun

1. A horse, especially a fast one.^[2][4]
2. A name of several migratory birds about the size of a pigeon, with long, quick legs, good runners; the stint.^[2][1]
3. (regional, botany) The prickly saltwort Salsola kali; săricică.^[3]

Related words

• fugacitate
• fugă
• fugi
• fugar
• Latin fugāx

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1, 417
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 948
4. ^ a b c d e f g Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. fugaci
5. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Densusianu, Ov. (1907–1914), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române: elementele latine (A–Putea), București, p. s.v. fugaci
6. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. s.v. fugax
7. ^ a b Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. fugă
8. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 2, 337
9. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 1, 461
10. ^ Gáldi, László (ed.) (1944), Samuel Klein: Dictionarium valachico-latinum. Primul dicționar al limbii române, Budapest: Királyi Magyar Pázmány Péter Tudományegyetemi Román Intézet (Klein's dictionary of 1801, with Gáldi's etymological study), p. 363
11. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. fugaci