nesigur

Forms

nesigur m or n (feminine singular nesigură, masculine plural nesiguri, feminine/neuter plural nesigure)^[1] MDA2 records an old variant nesecur.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian ne- + sigur, as the negative of the adjective.^{[3][2][4][5][1]}

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records are of 1818: MDA2 takes it from Budai-Deleanu's Romanian–German lexicon, Tiktin from Leon Asachi.^[2][5] The sense is “uncertain, unreliable”, as in Bălcescu's „ne trimite la un viitor nesigur” “sends us to an uncertain future”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

From things that cannot be relied on, the adjective spread to ground or ice that may give way and to places that are dangerous.^[4][6] Used of people it means lacking conviction or self-confidence, hesitant, and by extension shy or clumsy; it is also said of steps, gestures and looks that show this.^[4][3] A further sense is “indistinct, vague”, of something that cannot be seen clearly or is still taking shape.^[3][2] Scriban and Șăineanu record it of changeable weather and of the uncertain hour of death.^[6][7]

Timeline

• 1818 – first records, in Budai-Deleanu's lexicon and in Leon Asachi.^[2][5]
• 1862 – Pontbriant's dictionary.^[4]
• 1893–1895 – Damé glosses it with French incertain.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. uncertain, doubtful, not to be relied on: o veste nesigură.^[3][2]
2. Unstable, liable to give way; also dangerous, exposed.^[3][2]
3. (of people) Lacking conviction or self-confidence, hesitant; by extension shy or clumsy; also of their movements: pași nesiguri.^[3][2]
4. Indistinct, unclear; still taking shape.^[3][2]

Related words

• sigur
• nesiguranță

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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, 144
3. ^ a b c d e f g DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 712
4. ^ 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. nesigur
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. nesigur
6. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 868
7. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 429
8. ^ Damé, Frédéric (1893–1895), Nouveau dictionnaire roumain-français, 4 vols., Bucarest: Imprimerie de l'État