obstacol

Forms

obstacol n (plural obstacole)^[1] The first record has the plural obstacuri: „N-avea mai multe obstacuri a învinge” “he had no more obstacles to overcome”;^[2][3] obstacul is a variant in the 19th century.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French obstacle, with Italian ostacolo and Latin obstāculum as further models, as the Romanian dictionaries give it.^[6][5][7][4] The DN and MDN name French first, with Latin beside it.^[2][3] The Latin word, “that which stands in the way”, is formed from obstō (“to stand in the way”) and -culum.^[8][1] French borrowed it from Latin in 1225.^[9] The Italian word is also a learned loan from Latin, recorded from the 14th century.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in a calendar of 1794, with the abstract sense “hindrance”: „N-avea mai multe obstacuri a învinge”.^[4][5][7]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is a physical barrier in the way, which also blocks the view, and figuratively whatever stands in the way of an action.^[5][6] Negulici's dictionary of neologisms of 1848 explained it with the native words piedică and dificultate.^[11] The sporting sense, a fence or ditch that horses or runners must clear, is in the CADE of 1931, in the phrase cursă de obstacole.^[12][6]

Timeline

• 1794 – obstacuri (plural) in a calendar, the first record.^[4][5][7]
• 1848 – in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms.^[11]
• 1931 – cursă de obstacole “steeplechase” in the CADE.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. An obstacle: something that blocks the way, the passage or the view; a piedică.^[6][5][1]
2. (figurative) Something that hinders an action; a difficulty, opposition.^[6][5]
3. (sports) A natural or built hurdle on a course in athletics, show jumping or cyclo-cross.^[6][5]

Related words

• French obstacle
• Italian ostacolo

Usage notes

Cursă cu obstacole is an obstacle race;^[13] a întâmpina un obstacol is to meet with a difficulty.^[13][6]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. obstacol
3. ^ a b Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. obstacol
4. ^ a b c d Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. obstacol
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 188
6. ^ 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. 731
7. ^ 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. obstacol
8. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
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. 289
12. ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. obstacol
13. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. obstacol