interes

Forms

interes n (plural interese)^[1] An 18th-century variant is enteres: a document of 1779 says a market was being moved „pentru al lor enteres” “for their own interest”.^[2][3][4] Besides the plural interese there is an older interesuri, used in a document of 1785 („înteresurile”).^[2][3][5]

Etymology

It is a borrowing of the 18th century, and the dictionaries name several sources.^[4][6][3] According to DEX it is borrowed from Italian interesse, and also Russian интерес (interes) and German Interesse;^[5][4] Tiktin gives Italian, German and French intérêt.^[5][4] MDA2 gives only the French word, and the DA calls it a word modelled on French.^[3][2] Ciorănescu takes it from French, and earlier, in the 18th century, from Italian.^[6] Wiktionary gives Italian.^[1] Gáldi derived it from Modern Greek ἰντερέσσον (interésson) of the Phanariote period, but Ciorănescu objects that a Greek /nt/ would have given /nd/, as in Albanian nderes.^[7][6]

Behind all of them is the infinitive of Latin interesse (“to be between; to matter, concern”), formed on inter- and esse (“to be”).^[8][9] In Medieval Latin the infinitive was used as a noun for compensation for a broken contract and for the interest on a loan.^[9] The word also reached the Balkans: Aromanian intires, and Bulgarian интерес (interes), which the BER takes through Russian from Medieval Latin.^{[6][10][11][12]}

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from 1774.^[4] MDA2 and the DA quote a document of 1779 with the form enteres, on a market town moved for the benefit of those who wanted it.^[3][2] Gáldi's record of the word is from 1780.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was one's own advantage or profit, and the concern to obtain it;^[2][5] a-și face interesele is to look after only one's own business.^[2][5] It also means “interest on money”, now rare beside dobândă except in the legal phrase daune interese “damages”.^[5][3] Scriban recorded interes simplu and interes compus for simple and compound interest, and the proverb interesul poartă fesul “self-interest wears the fez”, that is, it moves the world.^[8]

Other senses are sympathy and care for a person, a purta cuiva interes, and the attention that something attracts, as in a book “full of interest”.^[2][13] Psychology uses it for a lasting active orientation towards some field, out of the wish to know it.^[3][14]

Timeline

• 1774 – the first record cited by Tiktin.^[4]
• 1779 – enteres in a document.^[3][2]
• 1780 – Gáldi's record from a Greek-influenced text.^[7]
• 1785 – the plural înteresurile in a document.^[2]
• 1836 – the Bulgarian интерес.^[12]
• 1939 – interes simplu and interes compus in Scriban.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. The concern to gain a success or an advantage; effort spent to satisfy some need.^[5][3]
2. Advantage, gain, profit;^[5][3] de interes general “of public importance”;^[5][3] a-și face interesele “to mind only one's own business”.^[5][3]
3. (rare) interest on money;^[5][3] (law) daune interese “damages”.^[5][3]
4. A lasting active orientation towards something, the eager wish to know or understand it: are mult interes pentru istorie “she is very interested in history”.^[5][3]
5. Understanding and sympathy for someone or something; care, solicitude.^[5][3]
6. What draws attention; appeal: o carte lipsită de interes “a book of no interest”.^[5][8]

Word family

• interesa
• interesant
• dezinteresa
• dezinteres
• neinteresant

Related words

• Aromanian intires
• Latin intersum

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. interes
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1148
4. ^ a b c d e f Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. interes
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 515
6. ^ a b c d 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. interes
7. ^ a b c Gáldi, Ladislas (1939), Les mots d'origine néo-grecque en roumain à l'époque des Phanariotes, Budapest: Királyi Magyar Egyetemi Nyomda, p. 200
8. ^ a b c d Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 650
9. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Papahagi, Tache (1963), Dicționarul dialectului aromân, general și etimologic, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 577
11. ^ Cunia, Tiberius (2008), Dictsiunar a limbãljei armãneascã, Editsii Timpurarã (after T. Papahagi, Ș. Mihăileanu and I. Dalametra; online at dixionline.net), p. 561
12. ^ a b Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite, p. 2, 82
13. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 335
14. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. interes