pupic

Forms

pupic m (plural pupici)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian pup (“kiss”) + -ic, a diminutive of the familiar word for a kiss.^[2][3][4][1] pup “kiss” is itself a back-formation from the verb pupa “to kiss”.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2 and the DLR date it to Ion Pas's Zilele vieții tale (1949), where a woman sends her friend a pupic down the telephone.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It belongs to familiar speech and to the language of children.^[2][4] Volceanov's slang dictionary records it as a neuter noun used mostly in the plural.^[5]

Timeline

• 1949 – first record, in Ion Pas's Zilele vieții tale.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (familiar, children's language) A little kiss: Dă-i un pupic bunicii!^[2][3][1]

Related words

• pupa
• sărut

Usage notes

DEX and the DLR give it as masculine, plural pupici;^[2][4][5] Volceanov has a neuter, mainly in the plural.^[2][4][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. 899
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, 601
4. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. pupic
5. ^ a b c Volceanov, George (2007), Dicționar de argou al limbii române, București: Niculescu, p. s.v. pupic