japonez

Forms

japonez m or n (feminine singular japoneză, masculine plural japonezi, feminine/neuter plural japoneze)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French japonais (“Japanese”), as MDA2, DEX, DLRM, MDN and Wiktionary state.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Ciorănescu derives it from the feminine japonaise, with the consonant of the feminine carried over to the masculine, and compares amorez for the formation.^[6] The DA takes it as a neologism modelled on Italian giapponese, a view Ciorănescu calls uncertain.^[7][6] Within Romanian the word reads as Japonia with the suffix -ez.^[1]

The French word is formed on Japon (“Japan”) with -ais.^[1] The Italian word is recorded from 1585.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2 gives Manolache Drăghici's cookbook of 1846 as the first record; the passage the DA quotes from it has the older adjective japanicesc, in hârtie japanicească “Japanese paper”.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The adjective means “of Japan, of the Japanese”, and the noun a Japanese person; the feminine used as a noun names the Japanese language.^[3][2] The old adjective japanicesc, which MDA2 compares with German japanisch, fell out of use, and japonez and the learned nipon remain.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1846 – first record, according to MDA2, in Drăghici's cookbook, where the DA finds japanicesc.^[2][7]
• 1931 – CADE has the adjective and the noun, with limba japoneză “the Japanese language”.^[9]
• 1939 – Scriban defines the noun as an inhabitant of Japan.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A Japanese person, a native or inhabitant of Japan.^[3][2][1]
2. (feminine, japoneza) The Japanese language.^[3][2]

Adjective

1. Of or relating to Japan or the Japanese; nipon: un restaurant japonez.^[3][2][1]

Related words

• Japonia
• nipon

Usage notes

The DA records an old masculine plural japoneji beside japonezi.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1275
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. 564
4. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. s.v. japonez
5. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. japonez
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. japonez
7. ^ 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. japonez
8. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli, p. s.v. giapponese
9. ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. japonez
10. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 711