model

Forms

model n (plural modele)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French modèle or Italian modello: DEX and DILF name both, a case of multiple etymology, while MDA2, Tiktin and DLR give French alone.^{[2][3][1][4][5][6]} The French word was itself borrowed in the 16th century, in the language of the arts, from the Italian word, in the sense “figure to be reproduced”.^[7] The Italian word comes from Vulgar Latin *modellus, a diminutive of Latin modulus (“measure, standard”), itself a diminutive of modus (“measure”).^[8][9][1] Scriban already gave the chain French, Italian, Latin.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is a manuscript of 1827, cited after DLR.^[5] MDA2 dates its first record to 1829, in the newspaper Curierul Românesc.^[4] The early quotations in DLR, from the same paper in the 1830s, use it of a thing that serves as a pattern or an example: Cicero is „cel mai frumos model” of the ample style.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The first senses were a pattern to imitate and, by extension, an example to follow, as in a lua model “to take as a model”.^[4][6][11] Negulici in 1848 and Costinescu in 1870 still explained it by exemplu and the older words izvod and mostră, and Costinescu added the person who poses for an artist and a small model in clay or wax.^[12][13] The old plural modeluri gave way to modele.^[4][6] Later senses are the type or design of a manufactured object, a foundry pattern, a mannequin, and the theoretical model of the sciences and of mathematics.^[2][14]

Timeline

• 1827 – first record, in a manuscript.^[5]
• 1829 – in Curierul Românesc.^[4]
• 1844 – the plural modelurile in an economic document.^[6]
• 1848 – Negulici lists it among the neologisms, glossed exemplar.^[12]
• 1870 – Costinescu gives the senses “example”, “artist's model” and “small-scale model”.^[13]

Meanings

Noun

1. A pattern or template, something that serves as a guide for copies or imitations.^[2][4][1]
2. A small-scale representation of an object, a machetă.^[2]
3. The type or design of a manufactured object;^[2] un model nou de telefon “a new phone model”.^[2]
4. A foundry pattern, an object pressed into a soft material to make a mould for casting.^[2][4]
5. A theoretical or material system used to study, by analogy, another system that is more complex.^[2][15]
6. A person, achievement or work worthy of imitation, an example;^[2] Ea e un model pentru colegi. “She is an example to her colleagues.”^[2]
7. A fashion model, a manechin.^[2]
8. A person who poses for a painter or a sculptor.^[2][13]
9. (mathematics) A system of mathematical relations linking the state variables of the system being modelled.^[2]

Related words

• modela
• modă
• French modèle
• Italian modello

Usage notes

A lua model de la cineva or a lua pe cineva drept model: to imitate someone, to take someone as a model;^[4][11] a servi drept model: to set an example.^[4][11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 665
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. model
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 37
5. ^ 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. modél
6. ^ a b c d e Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. model
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert, p. s.v. modèle
8. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli, p. s.v. modello
9. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier, p. s.v. modello
10. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 824
11. ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 114
12. ^ 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, p. s.v. model
13. ^ a b c Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 2, 109
14. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. model
15. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. model