gangster

Forms

gangster m (plural gangsteri)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French gangster, and also borrowed from English gangster: DEX, DN, MDN and DILF name both languages as its source, a case of the multiple etymology of Romanian lexicography.^[2][3][4][5] MDA2 likewise gives English and French, while DLRM derives it from French and notes that the French word came from English.^[6][7] The French word is itself borrowed from English.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The dictionaries of the 1950s record it as a word for criminals and swindlers in the United States, members of organised gangs.^[8][7] MDA2 dates its first record to DN, the dictionary of neologisms of 1961.^[6]

Semantic evolution

At first the dictionaries tied the word to America: DLRLC, DLRM and DN define it as a name for organised bandits in the United States.^[8][7][3] The modern dictionaries define it as a member of any criminal gang and, more generally, any bandit or evildoer.^[2][4]

Timeline

• 1955–1957 – defined as a criminal or swindler of the organised gangs of the United States.^[8]
• 1958 – “criminal, bandit, swindler (in the USA)”, from French.^[7]
• 1961 – recorded in the dictionary of neologisms, MDA2's first record.^[6][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A gangster: a member of a gang of criminals.^[2][6]
2. By extension, any bandit or evildoer.^[2][5]

Usage notes

DN gives the pronunciation of the first syllable as in English, gang-.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 425
3. ^ a b c d Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. gangster
4. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. gangster
5. ^ a b Costăchescu, Adriana; Dincă, Daniela; Dragoste, Ramona; Popescu, Mihaela; Scurtu, Gabriela (2009–2010), Dicționar de împrumuturi lexicale din limba franceză (DILF), 2 vols., Craiova: Universitaria, p. s.v. gangster
6. ^ 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, 963
7. ^ a b c d Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. s.v. gangster
8. ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 2, 355