modă

Forms

modă f (plural mode)^[1]

Etymology

According to Wiktionary, Tiktin and the neologism dictionaries it is borrowed from Italian moda, Tiktin adding that it may have come through other languages.^[1][2][3] DEX, MDA2 and the DLR name German Mode, Modern Greek μόδα (móda) and French mode as sources beside the Italian word.^[4][5][6] The regional variant modie comes from Hungarian módja (“its way, manner”).^[6][5]

The Italian word (1648) is itself from the French word, from Latin modus (“measure, manner”) through the French phrase à la mode (“in the fashion”).^[7][8] The Greek word is likewise from French or Italian.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the Anonymus Caransebesiensis, a Romanian–Latin glossary of the second half of the 17th century;^[5][2] Tiktin dates it to about 1670.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

MDA2 records regional variants moadă, mode, modie and an old neuter mod.^[5] The general sense “custom of a moment in a social milieu” narrowed to taste in clothing and bearing.^[4][5] Phrases followed: la modă “fashionable”, de modă veche “old-fashioned”, magazin de mode “milliner's shop” and revistă de modă “fashion magazine”.^[4][2]

Timeline

• c. 1650-1700 – modă in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis glossary.^[5]
• c. 1670 – Tiktin's date for the same record.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A custom or habit shared by a social milieu at a given moment; especially the prevailing taste in dress and behaviour, fashion: la modă “in fashion”, de modă veche “old-fashioned”.^[4][1]
2. (in phrases) Women's clothing and hats: magazin de mode “milliner's shop”, casă de modă “fashion house”.^[4][10]

Related words

• mod
• Italian moda

Usage notes

La modă means “fashionable” and de modă veche “old-fashioned”: Purta o haină de modă veche.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. modă
3. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. modă
4. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 665
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. 2, 37
6. ^ a b Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. modă
7. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
10. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. modă