modifica

Forms

modifica (third-person singular present modifică, past participle modificat, third-person subjunctive modifice), 1st conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned borrowed from Latin modificō (“to regulate, to measure out”).^[2][1] The dictionaries name further models beside the Latin verb: MDA2 compares French modifier,^[3] the DN gives Latin and Italian modificare,^[4] and Tiktin derives it from the Italian verb alone.^[5] An old variant modifia is taken by the DLR from the French verb.^[6]

That verb is formed from Latin modus (“measure, manner”) + -ficō, with the suffix of verbs made from faciō (“to make”).^[7][1][8] Graur lists the verb among the Romanian words of the family of modus, beside mod, modera and modul.^[9] French had borrowed it in 1355 as a legal term, “to reduce a penalty”.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin dates the first record to 1836.^[5] The oldest quotation in the DLR is from Ion Heliade Rădulescu, who contrasts „natura simplă și natura modificată prin meșteșuguri” “simple nature and nature modified by the crafts”.^[6][3]

Semantic evolution

In 1848 Negulici defined the verb by Latin temperare as to moderate or soften the clauses of an act or the provisions of a law, and to change something for the better.^[11] This narrower sense, close to the Latin “to regulate”, gave way to the general one, “to change the look, form or content of something”, which the DLR records from Heliade on together with the reflexive use: Alecu Russo wrote that languages „se modifică și cresc” “change and grow”.^[6][7]

Russo also used the variant form: „Civilizația, în marșa ei progresivă, modifiază limba și năravurile” “civilisation, in its forward march, modifies language and manners”.^[6] The DLR adds an old and popular sense “to move”, and a special sense “to correct, to rectify”, which DEX and MDN keep.^[6][2][12]

Timeline

• 1836 – first record of the verb.^[5]
• 1848 – Negulici records it in the sense “to moderate, to soften”.^[11]
• 1862 – in Pontbriant's dictionary.^[6]
• 1870 – in Costinescu's dictionary.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive and reflexive) To change, alter or transform the look, form or content of something: Arhitectul a modificat planul casei.^[2][3][13]
2. (transitive, specifically) To correct, to rectify.^[2][12]

Related words

• mod
• modera

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 665
3. ^ a b c Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 39
4. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România
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. modifica
6. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. modifica
7. ^ a b Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Graur, Alexandru (1980), Cuvinte înrudite, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, p. 64
10. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
11. ^ 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. modificare
12. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual
13. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne