presupune

Forms

presupune (third-person singular present presupune, past participle presupus, third-person subjunctive presupună) 3rd conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian pre- + supune on the model of French présupposer.^[2][3][4] Tiktin and the DLR name Latin praesuppōnō as a model beside the French verb.^[5][6] Ciorănescu takes it as the French verb itself, fitted to the conjugation of supune.^[7] Șăineanu called it a literary compromise between propune and suppōnō.^[8]

It is conjugated like pune.^[9][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is Bobb's dictionary of 1823, with the sense “to assume, suppose”.^[5] The DLR's quotations of the 1840s already use it for “to require as a condition”: a periodical of 1846 says that vanity presupposes the wish to outdo one's fellows.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The two senses have stood side by side since the 19th century: “to admit provisionally that something is true or possible” and “to have as a necessary condition, to imply”.^[6][2] The second is the one of philosophical and technical prose (an effect presupposes a cause).^[6][10] Eminescu used a gerund presupuind beside the usual presupunând.^[10][11]

Timeline

• 1823 – first record, in Bobb's dictionary.^[5]
• 1846 – a periodical uses it for “to require as a condition”.^[6]
• 1862 – Pontbriant glosses it with French présupposer.^[12]
• 1893 – Damé notes that it is conjugated like a pune.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To suppose or assume: to accept for the moment that something is possible or true; to believe, to suspect: Presupun că a plecat deja.^[2][3]
2. To presuppose: to need something as a prior condition; to imply: Meseria aceasta presupune multă răbdare.^[2][3]

Word family

• presupunere

Related words

• supune
• pune
• French présupposer

Usage notes

The object is usually a clause with că: presupun că… “I suppose that…”.^[3][10] Este de presupus că… means “it may be assumed that…”.^[5]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 870
3. ^ a b c d Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 526
4. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. presupune
5. ^ a b c d e Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. presupune
6. ^ 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. presupune
7. ^ 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. presupune
8. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 508
9. ^ a b Damé, Frédéric (1893–1895), Nouveau dictionnaire roumain-français, 4 vols., Bucarest: Imprimerie de l'État, p. 2
10. ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 555
11. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. presupune
12. ^ Pontbriant, Raoul de (1862), Dictiunaru romano-francesu, Bucuresci: A. Ulrich / Göttingen: Dieterich, p. 580