matematic

Forms

matematic m or n (feminine singular matematică, masculine plural matematici, feminine/neuter plural matematice)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned loan with several models: borrowed from French mathématique, Italian matematico and Latin mathematicus.^[2][3][4] DEX 2009 gives French and Latin, and Wiktionary French alone.^[2][1] MDA2 adds German mathematisch, and the DLR also Modern Greek μαθηματικός (mathimatikós).^[5][6] Tiktin gives Greek and Latin.^[7]

The Latin adjective is from Ancient Greek μαθηματικός (mathēmatikós, “fond of learning; mathematical”),^[8][9] formed from μάθημα (máthēma, “learning; mathematics”) with the suffix -ικός (-ikós).^[1] French took the word from Latin in the 13th century.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin dates the adjective to about 1780, in Micu's phrase cunoștință matematicească “mathematical knowledge”, with the old form matematicesc.^[7] MDA2's first record of matematic as an adjective is from 1836.^[5] An older noun matematic “mathematician”, from 1678, is a separate headword in DEX and MDA2.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The adjective means belonging to mathematics or based on its principles; in the 19th century it was also written matematicesc.^[6][5] Eminescu writes of Dionis making un calcul matematic “a mathematical calculation” on an old wooden table.^[6] From the precision of the science comes the figurative use as an adverb, “exactly, rigorously”.^[6][2][11] Used as a noun, matematicul is the realm where the laws of mathematics hold.^[5][6]

Timeline

• c. 1780 – matematicesc “mathematical” in Micu.^[7]
• 1836 – the adjective matematic.^[5][6]
• 1848 – matematic “mathematician; mathematical” in Negulici's vocabulary of neologisms.^[12]
• 1931 – the figurative sense “rigorous, exact”.^[11]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Mathematical: belonging to or based on matematică: analiză matematică.^[2][6]
2. (figurative, used as an adverb) Exactly, rigorously: totul se petrecea matematic.^[2][6]

Word family

• matematicesc

Related words

• matematică
• matematician
• Latin mathematicus
• French mathématique

Usage notes

DEX 2009 and MDA2 give a separate obsolete noun matematic “mathematician” (also “astrologer”), from Italian matematico and German Mathematikus, recorded from 1678 and still used by Caragiale.^[2][5][6] The science itself is the feminine noun matematică.^[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. 623
3. ^ Costăchescu, Adriana; Dincă, Daniela; Dragoste, Ramona; Popescu, Mihaela; Scurtu, Gabriela (2009–2010), Dicționar de împrumuturi lexicale din limba franceză (DILF), 2 vols., Craiova: Universitaria, p. s.v. matematic
4. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. matematic
5. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1441
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. matematic
7. ^ 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. matematic
8. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
10. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. matematic
12. ^ 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. 255