mecanism

Forms

mecanism n (plural mecanisme)^[1] Older texts have forms with ⟨h⟩: Vîrnav glosses mihanizm as „alcătuire unui trup după legile mihanicei” “the structure of a body according to the laws of mechanics”.^[2] A periodical of 1829 has mehanism: „Cu acest mehanism nu este de a se teme nici de o întâmplare” “with this mechanism there is no mishap to fear”.^[2] Maiorescu wrote mechanism: „Cine cunoaște mechanismul clavirului” “whoever knows the mechanism of the clavier”.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French mécanisme, also German Mechanismus, a neologism of the early 19th century.^[4][2][5][6] Tiktin adds that it may also have come indirectly, and MDA2 names Modern Greek μηχανισμός (mikhanismós) and Russian механизм (mexanizm) as further sources.^[5][3] The DLR explains the old variants with ⟨h⟩, mehanism and mihanizm, by the Greek and Russian forms.^[2] механѝзъм (mehanízǎm) came the same way, through Russian and German.^[7]

The French word is a learned borrowing from New Latin mechanismus, formed on Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “machine, contrivance”).^[1] Graur groups it with mecanic and mașină, all of them from the same Greek family.^[8] The origin of the Greek word itself is unclear: it was traditionally linked with Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (“to be able”), while Beekes takes it as Pre-Greek.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from Leon Asachi in 1818.^[5] The earliest quotations in the DLR use the word for the structure of a body according to the laws of mechanics (Vîrnav) and for the workings of a carriage (1829).^[2] Negulici's dictionary of 1848 explains it as the structure of a body arranged by the laws of mechanics.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The DLR's quotations move from machines and devices, such as the mechanism of a clavier in Maiorescu or of a steam hammer, to the mind and the body: Gherea speaks of the mecanism sufletesc “the mechanism of the soul”.^[2] Șăineanu's dictionary of 1929 already lists three uses: the parts of a clock, the organs of a living body, and figuratively the means that together produce an effect, as in mecanismul unei limbi “the mechanism of a language”.^[10] The political and administrative sense, a system of organisation, is in the DLRLC with a quotation from Caragiale.^[11]

Timeline

• 1818 – mecanism in Leon Asachi, the first record.^[5]
• 1829 – mehanism of the workings of a carriage.^[2]
• 1848 – in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms.^[9]
• 1870 – Costinescu glosses it with French mécanisme.^[12]
• 1929 – Șăineanu records the senses “parts of a machine”, “organs of a body” and the figurative one.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A technical system of fixed and moving parts fitted together, in which the moving parts drive one another; also the whole set of such parts, machinery.^[4][3]
2. The way such a system works.^[4][3]
3. The way a phenomenon or a reaction takes place: mecanismul gândirii “the mechanism of thought”.^[4][13]
4. (by analogy) A system or mode of political, economic or social organization.^[4][3]

Related words

• mecanic
• mecanică
• mașină

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. mecanism
3. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 1477
4. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 635
5. ^ a b c d Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. mecanism
6. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual
7. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite, p. 3, 773
8. ^ Graur, Alexandru (1980), Cuvinte înrudite, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, p. 55
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 391
11. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 48
12. ^ Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 2, 80
13. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. mecanism