plus

Forms

plus n (plural plusuri); adverb plus^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned borrowed from Latin plūs (“more”).^[2][3][1] MDA2, the DLR and Tiktin also name German Plus and French plus as models, and DN adds Italian.^[4][5][6][7] Ciorănescu dates it to the 19th century, but the first record is from 1785.^[3][4]

The Latin word, earlier plous, was the comparative of a Proto-Indo-European adjective for many, built on Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“many, much”).^[8][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gheorghe Șincai's arithmetic of 1785 introduced the term for the addition sign: „+ e semnul adaogerei și se numește plus, mai mult” “+ is the sign of addition and is called plus, more”.^[5][4][6]

Semantic evolution

The word began as a term of arithmetic, read beside the native mai mult “more”, as an arithmetic of 1806 still glosses it.^[5] The adverb “more, and also” is recorded in Asachi, and by Caragiale's time it joined items in ordinary speech: a customer pays his bill “plus a glass”.^[5] The noun “surplus, extra” spread in the 20th century, with the phrase în plus “in addition, extra”.^[5][2] Scriban recorded plus că “and besides” as a conjunction-like use.^[9]

Timeline

• 1785 – plus for the addition sign in Șincai's arithmetic.^[4][5]
• 1806 – an arithmetic glosses the sign “more by (plus)”.^[5]
• 1939 – Scriban records plus că “and besides”.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A surplus: what goes beyond a given amount; an advantage;^[2][7][1] în plus “extra, in addition”.^[2][7][1]
2. (mathematics) The plus sign (+), marking addition or a positive number;^[2][4] plus infinit “plus infinity”.^[2][4]
3. A plus sign added to a school mark to raise it; the sign of a positive electric charge.^[2][7]

Adverb

1. more; and also, on top of that; above zero: plus zece grade “ten degrees above zero”.^[2][10]

Conjunction

1. plus, and: Doi plus doi fac patru;^[2][9][1] plus că “and besides”.^[2][9][1]

Related words

• minus
• pluscuamperfect
• Latin plūs

Usage notes

DEX lists a separate combining element plus- “more, extra”, made from this word, which forms nouns.^[2] plusvaloare “surplus value” is the usual example, a model of French plus-value.^[3] The opposite is minus.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 836
3. ^ a b c Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. plus
4. ^ 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, 429
5. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. plus
6. ^ a b Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. plus
7. ^ a b c d Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. plus
8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
9. ^ a b c d e Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1001
10. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. plus