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gagică

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Etymology and origin of the Romanian word gagică

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1926 Candrea and Adamescu's illustrated encyclopaedic dictionary More words from the 20th century
Borrowed from
Romani gaği
Ultimate origin
Romani gaği

Forms

gagică f (plural gagici)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Romani gaği (“non-Romani woman”) according to DEX, MDA2, the CADE and Wikționar.[2][3][4][5] Ciorănescu and Wiktionary instead take it as a Romanian feminine of the slang word gagiu “master; lover”, with the suffix -ică;[6][1] The masculine itself comes from Romani gaʒo (“non-Romani man”).[6][1] DEX reverses the relation and derives the masculine from the feminine.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2's first record is the encyclopaedic dictionary of Candrea and Adamescu (1926–1931), where it is a slang word for a mistress, a lover.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

Besides “mistress” the word came to mean a girlfriend, and then any woman, especially a good-looking one.[3][2] In Moldova Stati records it for the wife of a Roma man.[7]

Timeline

  • 1926 – first record, “mistress”, in the CADE.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (colloquial) A mistress, a girlfriend.[2][3]
  2. (colloquial) A woman, especially an attractive one.[3]
  3. (regional, Moldova) The wife of a Roma man.[7]
  • gagiu

Usage notes

The plural is gagici;[2] DEX also allows gagice.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 423
  3. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 959
  4. ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. gagică
  5. ^ Wikționar (Romanian Wiktionary), ro.wiktionary.org
  6. ^ 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. gagiu
  7. ^ a b Stati, Vasile (2003), Dicționar moldovenesc-românesc, Chișinău, p. 110

Related etymologies

  • mișto · also from Romani
  • nasol · also from Romani
  • rom · also from Romani
Cite this entry

“Gagică.” Etymologically, 12 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ro/gagic%C4%83. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·