pa

Etymology

It is borrowed from Hungarian pá (“bye”), perhaps also borrowed from German pa, the Viennese children's word.^[2][3][4] DEX, MDA2, NODEX and Wikționar name both, the DLR compares both, and Wiktionary gives only the Hungarian.^{[2][3][5][4][6][1]}

The Hungarian word is itself a loan from the German of Austria and Bavaria, which has ba and the dialectal baba, a children's greeting often said with a wave of the hand.^[7][8][9] The Austrian word is onomatopoeic.^[8][9] Hungarian records the word from 1791, and until the middle of the 19th century it was felt to be refined enough to match French adieu in polite society.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2's first record is from the prose of Gala Galaction, quoted in the 1956 edition of his selected works; there, children taking leave of a doctor say „Pa! Domnule doctor”.^[3][4] The DLR also quotes Cezar Petrescu: „Pa! și noapte bună!” “bye, and good night!”.^[4][10]

Semantic evolution

The word is a farewell used mostly by children and to children, and familiarly between adults;^[3][2] MDA2 gives la revedere, salutare and the regional servus as synonyms.^[3][2] NODEX labels it familiar, and the slang dictionary lists it simply as “goodbye”.^[5][11]

Timeline

• 1791 – Hungarian pá, the probable source, first recorded.^[7]
• 20th century – first Romanian records, in Gala Galaction and Cezar Petrescu.^[3][4]
• 1955–1957 – the DLRLC defines it as a farewell used mainly with children.^[10]

Meanings

Interjection

1. bye: a farewell said mostly by or to children, or familiarly between adults; la revedere.^[2][3][1]

Usage notes

DEX 2009 has a single entry pa.^[2] MDA2 and the DLR also list pa as a variant of the preposition pe.^[3][12] Scriban records pa as the name of the first note of the old church music scale.^[13]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 761
3. ^ 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, 243
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. pa
5. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. pa
6. ^ Wikționar (Romanian Wiktionary), ro.wiktionary.org
7. ^ a b Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
8. ^ a b Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
9. ^ a b c Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
10. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 300
11. ^ Volceanov, George (2007), Dicționar de argou al limbii române, București: Niculescu, p. s.v. pa
12. ^ Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. pa 2
13. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1, 920