individual

Forms

individual m or n (feminine singular individuală, masculine plural individuali, feminine/neuter plural individuale)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French individuel.^[2][3][4][1] Scriban writes that it was made after the French word, and NODEX names Medieval Latin individuālis beside it.^[5][6] The French adjective is a learned loan of the Medieval Latin one, formed on indīviduum (“an indivisible thing, an individual”) with the suffix -ālis.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin dates the first record to 1827; he also records an obsolete form individuel, the French spelling.^[4] Negulici's dictionary of 1848 explains it as “of the individual, related to the individual”, with Latin individuus.^[7] MDA2 cites it first from Bălcescu's history of Michael the Brave, with the phrase „nimicind orice domnie individuală” “destroying every individual rule”.^[3][8]

Semantic evolution

The adjective first meant what belongs to or concerns a single person, as opposed to the group: Maiorescu spoke of a chestie individuală and an interpretare individuală.^[8] Dictionaries add the sense of something done by one person, muncă individuală “individual work”, and the adverbial use “separately, each for himself”.^[2][5] Philosophy and aesthetics use it as a neuter noun for the singular, the particular case.^[9] The related abstract nouns individualism and individualitate and the verb individualiza were formed after French models.^[8]

Timeline

• 1827 – the first record.^[4]
• 1848 – listed by Negulici.^[7]
• 1870 – Costinescu glosses it French individuel.^[10]
• 1878 – domnie individuală in the edition of Bălcescu's history.^[3][8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Belonging to one individual; personal, specific; also concerning a single member of a class of things or beings.^[2][3]
2. Done by one person: muncă individuală “individual work”; adverbially, separately, each on his own: Elevii au lucrat individual.^[2]

Noun

1. (philosophy) The singular, the particular case.^[11][9]

Related words

• individ
• individualism
• individualitate
• individualiza

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. 503
3. ^ 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, 1131
4. ^ 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. individual
5. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 636
6. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. individual
7. ^ a b 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
8. ^ a b c d 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. individ
9. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. individual
10. ^ Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 1, 543
11. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. individual