independent

Forms

independent m or n (feminine singular independentă, masculine plural independenți, feminine/neuter plural independente)^[1] An older form was independinte: Odobescu wrote that Romania lacked little to resemble „cele mai multe țări independinte ale Europei” “most of the independent countries of Europe”.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French indépendant, the source DEX, DELR, Marcu and Wiktionary give.^[3][4][5][1] Tiktin and NODEX name Italian indipendente as well, and DELR takes the old variant indipendente from it.^[6][7][4] Other old variants were indepandant, indepandent and independinte.^[4] Scriban links it with dependent.^[8]

The French adjective is formed from in- and dépendant.^[1] DELR places the word in the family of depinde, from French dépendre and Latin dependeō, on pendeō (“to hang”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record is indipendente in Ienăchiță Văcărescu's history of 1794, where indipendență also first appears.^[4] Tiktin dates the word to 1800.^[6]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word meant “not depending on anyone or anything”, and it was used above all of states: Maiorescu wrote Suntem un stat independent “We are an independent state”.^[2][4] Said of people, it means relying on oneself, and fire independentă is a person who likes to go their own way.^[2][9] As an adverb, and in independent de “regardless of”, it means “without regard to”.^[2][3] Mathematics and physics use it for a quantity whose value depends on no other.^[10]

Timeline

• 1794 – indipendente and indipendență in Văcărescu's history.^[4]
• 1800 – the form independent.^[6]
• 1848 – in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms.^[11]
• 1878 – adverbial use in the edition of Bălcescu's history of Michael the Brave.^[9][2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not depending on anyone or anything; of a people or a state, enjoying independență: free, autonomous.^[3][9]
2. Of people and their acts: relying on their own powers, with personal initiative.^[3][12]
3. (mathematics, physics) Of a quantity: whose value depends on no other.^[10]

Adverb

1. Without any dependence on something else;^[3][9] independent de “regardless of”: Independent de vreme, plecăm mâine.^[3][9]

Related words

• independență
• dependent
• depinde

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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. independent
3. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 501
4. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. depinde
5. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. independent
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. independent
7. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. independent
8. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1, 634
9. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1128
10. ^ a b Breban, Vasile (1980), Dicționar al limbii române contemporane de uz curent, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică
11. ^ 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. independent
12. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. independent