mură

mură¹ blackberry

Etymology tree of mură¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin mōra

Romanian mură

From the same root · mură¹

Latin moror ← mōra

Latin mōrōsus ← mōra

Pronunciation

• /ˈmu.rə/^[1]

Forms

mură f (plural mure)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the blackberry is inherited from Latin mōra, the plural of mōrum (“mulberry, blackberry”) taken as a feminine singular.^[2][1] MDA2 and Tiktin give the Latin singular as the etymon.^[3][4] Ciorănescu instead treats it as a derivative of mur, and DLR gives both explanations.^[5][6] The Latin word is compared with Ancient Greek μόρον (móron, “black mulberry, blackberry”).^[1][7]

The word survives in Aromanian mură or amură.^[5][8] Its Romance cognates are Italian mora, French mûre, Catalan móra, Spanish mora, Portuguese amora and Sardinian mura.^[5][9][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is a document of 1598.^[4] The Anonymus Caransebesiensis (c. 1650–1700) has it for the fruit of the bramble.^[6] The Bible of 1688 uses it for mulberries, translating Greek μόρων: „sânge de struguri și de mure, ca să-i tocmească pre ei la războiu” “the blood of grapes and of mulberries, to make them ready for battle”.^[4][10][3]

Semantic evolution

As with mur, the old sense was the mulberry, which dudă later took over; the blackberry is the main modern sense.^[3][6][2] In Transylvania the word can also mean the bilberry, and the plural phrases mure roșii and mure de casă name garden raspberries.^[3]

The black berry became a standard of comparison for dark eyes: Negruzzi and Creangă describe eyes negri ca murele “black as blackberries”, and a folk poem in Alecsandri's collection has mura câmpului “blackberry of the field”.^[4][4][11] Regional speech also uses the word as an adjective for that colour.^[3] The phrase mură-n gură “a blackberry in the mouth” stands for something gained without effort.^[2][12]

Timeline

• 1598 – a document cited by Tiktin.^[4]
• c. 1650–1700 – the fruit of the bramble in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis.^[6]
• 1688 – mure “mulberries” in the Bucharest Bible.^[10][3]
• 1825 – the Lexicon de la Buda glosses mură as the blackberry.^[13]

Meanings

Noun

1. Blackberry: the edible, glossy black fruit of the mur.^[2][3][1]
2. (dated, regional) A mulberry.^[3][6]
3. (Transylvania) A bilberry.^[3]
4. (regional, adjective) Black as a blackberry.^[3]

mură² gland, stomach

Pronunciation

• /ˈmu.rə/^[1]

Forms

mură f (plural mure, regionally muri)^[3]

Etymology

The regional word for the stomach and the glands of animals is of uncertain origin.^[2][3] Ciorănescu, who has it in the sense “mesentery”, takes it as probably inherited from Vulgar Latin *mula, following Meyer, Pascu and Candrea, and notes Mușlea's discussion of the word.^[14] DEX, MDA2, Tiktin and DLR only compare Albanian mullë.^{[2][3][15][16][17]} Ciorănescu writes the Albanian word muljë and reports Capidan's view that the Romanian word is a loan from it.^[14] He also compares Modern Greek μούλα (moúla) and French mule, and he finds Giuglea's source in Ancient Greek μύλη (múlē) less likely.^[14] Scriban calls its origin uncertain.^[12]

The word survives south of the Danube: Aromanian mură or amură.^[14] Ciorănescu records a Bulgarian borrowing of it.^[14]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis (c. 1650–1700), an old Romanian–Latin glossary, which glosses murĕ as „intestinum crassius” “the large intestine”.^[17][3] Tiktin dates the glossary to about 1670.^[15]

Semantic evolution

The word names several inner parts of animals: the stomach of ruminants, the gizzard of birds and, jokingly, the human stomach, then the intestines, in particular those of a suckling lamb or calf that hold the curdled milk.^[3][16] In the Bran area of Brașov the plural muri is tripe soup.^[16] In the plural it also names the glands and lymph nodes of the neck and breast, and the tonsils; the age of a horse could be judged by them.^[16][2] Scriban has it as a butchers' word for the mesentery in Muntenia.^[12]

Timeline

• c. 1650–1700 – murĕ “large intestine” in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis.^[17][3]
• 1862 – Pontbriant's dictionary has the gland sense.^[16]
• 1939 – Scriban records the mesentery sense in Muntenia.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. (regional, chiefly in the plural) A gland or lymph node of the neck or breast of some animals; the tonsils.^[2][3]
2. (regional) The stomach of ruminants; the gizzard of birds; the human stomach.^[3][16]
3. (regional) The intestines of ruminants, especially those of a suckling lamb or calf; the mesentery.^[3][12]
4. (regional, plural muri) Tripe soup.^[3][16]

mură³ tack (rope)

Pronunciation

• /ˈmu.rə/^[1]

Forms

mură f (plural mure)^[2]

Etymology

The nautical word for a tack is borrowed from Italian mura.^{[2][18][19][12]} The Italian word comes from Spanish amura, its initial a- having been taken for the article.^[20] The Spanish noun is formed from amurar (“to fasten the sails”), which is derived from muro in the sense of the ship's side.^[21][20] The REW lists the Spanish verb under Latin mūrus (“wall”).^[22]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record in the sources at hand is Scriban's dictionary of 1939, which defines it as the rope that holds the tip of the yard fast at the bow.^[12] Italian mura itself is recorded from 1834.^[21]

Semantic evolution

Besides the rope, the word names the manoeuvre that stretches the lower corner of a sail towards the bow, and in the phrases mură la tribord and mură la babord the trim of a sailing ship that takes the wind on the starboard or the port side.^[18][19]

Timeline

• 1834 – Italian mura is first recorded.^[21]
• 1939 – Scriban records Romanian mură as a nautical term.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. (nautical) A tack: a rope that hauls the lower corners of square sails towards the bow.^[2][19]
2. (nautical) The trim of a sailing ship with regard to the wind: mură la tribord “wind on the starboard side”.^[18][19]