procuratură

Forms

procuratură f (plural procuraturi)^[1] An old variant is procurătură.^[2]

Etymology

In its modern sense it is borrowed from Russian прокуратура (prokuratura).^[3][4][5][1] MDA2 names German Prokuratur as a second source, for the older sense “advocacy”.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2's first record is Barcianu's Romanian–German vocabulary of 1868, with the old sense “the office of an advocate”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The 19th-century sense “advocacy, the office of an attorney” is now obsolete, as is the rare phrase procuratură finanțiară, a body that watched over the legality of financial dealings.^[2] The current sense, the state body that supervises the application of the laws, brings offenders to trial and represents the state in court, follows the Russian word.^[3][2] The DLRLC quotes it from a party journal of 1953.^[6] By extension it also names the building that houses this office.^[3][7]

Timeline

• 1868 – “advocacy” in Barcianu's Romanian–German vocabulary, the first record.^[2]
• 1953 – the state prosecution office, in a quotation of the DLRLC.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. The public prosecution office: the state body that supervises the observance of the laws, brings offenders to trial and represents the state in court.^[3][2]
2. By extension, the building that houses this office: Avocatul a mers la procuratură.^[3][7]
3. (obsolete) advocacy, the profession of an attorney.^[2]

Related words

• procuror
• procură

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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, 559
3. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 880
4. ^ Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. procuratură
5. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. procuratură
6. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 590
7. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. procuratură