nașpa

Forms

nașpa m or f or n (indeclinable)^[1]

Etymology

Its origin is not settled.^[2][1] Wiktionary takes it as a clipping from Romanian nașparliu, a slang word from Romani nasvalo (“sick”).^[1] Dimitrescu's dictionary of recent words also derives that slang word, probably, from the Romani one.^[3] MDA2 and the Romanian Wiktionary call the origin unknown.^[2][4] Volceanov's slang dictionary refers it to nasol, which DEX and MDA2 trace to the same Romani word and to nasul (“bad, mean”).^[5][6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Dimitrescu's earliest quotation is from 1991, in the student paper Opinia studențească, with the sense “ugly” or “the worst”: a prize for cel mai nașpa student.^[8]

Semantic evolution

It belongs to the slang of the young after 1989.^[8] From “ugly” it was used of people as “unpleasant, unbearable” and of things as “bad, fake”, such as counterfeit dollars, and as an adverb “badly”, often in nașpa rău “really bad”.^[8] MDA2 records it as slang for “bad”, “ugly”, “annoying” and “very unpleasant”.^[2]

Timeline

• 1991 – cel mai nașpa student in the student paper Opinia studențească.^[8]
• 1999 – “unpleasant” of a journalist, in the paper Național.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (slang) ugly; lame, of poor quality: Geaca asta e nașpa.^[2][1][8]
2. (slang) Unpleasant, annoying, unbearable.^[2][8]
3. (slang) Bad; fake, counterfeit.^[2][8]

Adverb

1. (slang) Badly.^[8]

Related words

• nașparliu
• nasol

Usage notes

It does not inflect: the same form serves for all genders and numbers.^[1][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 97
3. ^ Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. nașparliu
4. ^ Wikționar (Romanian Wiktionary), ro.wiktionary.org
5. ^ Volceanov, George (2007), Dicționar de argou al limbii române, București: Niculescu, p. s.v. nașpa
6. ^ DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 690
7. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 96
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. nașpa