Etymologically

Etymology and origin of the Romanian word menționa

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1875 Hasdeu's Istoria critică a românilor More words from the 19th century
Borrowed from
French mentionner
Ultimate origin
French mention

Forms

menționa (third-person singular present menționează, past participle menționat) 1st conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French mentionner.[2][3][4][5][1] The French verb is derived from mention.[1] A rare older variant spelled ⟨mențiuna⟩ was shaped by association with the noun mențiune.[4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Hasdeu's Istoria critică a românilor (1875): „Scriptele și actele posterioare menționează mai multe diplome” “the later writings and acts mention several charters”.[4][3]

Semantic evolution

From the sense of pointing something out, in speech or writing, it developed the weaker sense of mentioning in passing, close to pomeni and aminti.[3][2] A third sense is to record something expressly, to specify.[3][6] NODEX also records the sense of honouring someone with a mention.[7]

Timeline

  • 1875 – the first record, in Hasdeu's Istoria critică a românilor.[3][4]
  • 1929 – Șăineanu defines it as “to make a mention”.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To point out or mention something, in speech or writing; to pomeni, to recall in passing.[2][3]
  2. To specify, to record expressly.[2][3]
  3. To honour someone with a mention.[7]
  • mențiune

Usage notes

The ⟨ți⟩ is pronounced as a separate syllable before ⟨o⟩: -ți-o-.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 641
  3. ^ 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, 1488
  4. ^ a b c d Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. menționa
  5. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. menționa
  6. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 57
  7. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. menționa
  8. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 394

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Menționa.” Etymologically, 12 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ro/men%C8%9Biona. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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