manual

Forms

manual m or n (feminine singular manuală, masculine plural manuali, feminine/neuter plural manuale)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French manuel.^[2][3][4] DEX, MDA2 and the DLR compare Latin manuālis and Italian manuale, which the neologism dictionaries also give as sources, and Wiktionary takes it from French and Latin together.^[2][3][5][1] The variant ⟨mânual⟩ was brought closer to mână “hand”.^[3][4]

The French adjective was borrowed about 1200 from the Latin adjective, “of the hand”, and the noun “handbook” about 1270 from Late Latin.^[6] The Latin adjective is formed on manus (“hand”) with the suffix -ālis.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is from 1829, in Curierul românesc: Manual întreg pentru meșterul ce lucrează ferul, “a complete handbook for the craftsman who works iron”.^[3][4] A Manual de patriotism is also recorded in 1829.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The noun “handbook” came first, and Negulici (1848) still explains it as a short treatise on morals or science that can be carried in the hand.^[3][8] The adjective “done by hand” is in Costinescu (1870) and in a calendar of 1853 that speaks of ghibăcii manuale, manual skills.^[9][3] Opposed to intelectual, it came to describe physical work and those who do it.^[3][2] In Moldavia the noun was once used for a small book of accounts for the household staff, and in music for the keyboard of an organ.^[3][10][11]

Timeline

• 1829 – manual “handbook” in Curierul românesc.^[3][4]
• 1848 – in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms.^[8]
• 1853 – the adjective in ghibăcii manuale “manual skills”.^[3]
• 1870 – adjective and noun in Costinescu.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A handbook or textbook: a book with the basic notions of a science, art or practical skill, especially a school book.^[2][5]
2. The keyboard of an organ or another keyboard instrument played with the hands.^[11][5]
3. (obsolete, Moldavia) A small account book for household servants.^[3][4]

Adjective

1. manual: done by hand, handmade.^[2][12]
2. Of work or trades: physical, as opposed to intellectual: muncă manuală “manual labour”.^[2][3]
3. Of people: working with their hands.^[2][4]

Related words

• mână
• French manuel
• Latin manuālis

Usage notes

The u and a are pronounced in separate syllables, ma-nu-al.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 617
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. manual
4. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1430
5. ^ a b c Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual
6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci
10. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1, 773
11. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România
12. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional