răzbuna

Forms

răzbuna (third-person singular present răzbună, past participle răzbunat) 1st conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian răz- + bun (“good”).^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Ciorănescu also lists it under bun, with the original sense “to make better”, which he compares with Latin vindicō “to avenge” and Romanian vindeca “to heal”.^[6] Candrea and Densusianu, and CADE after them, derived it from a Vulgar Latin *reexbonō, comparing Old French resboner (“to improve”);^[4] DELR gives this view beside the Romanian formation.^[4] It is also found south of the Danube: Aromanian arãzbun means “to reconcile, to cheer up”.^[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the Palia de la Orăștie of 1581–1582, where the verb means “to rest, to leave off”: „în a șaptea dzi tu răzbună de-a ararea și de-a secerarea” “on the seventh day rest from ploughing and reaping” (Exodus 34:21).^[5][4]

Semantic evolution

Besides “to cease” in old texts, the verb had several senses close to “make good again”: to heal, and, in popular speech, to cheer someone up, a răzbuna de inimă; of the weather, se răzbună means that it clears up, and in the Banat the reflexive meant “to cool down”.^[4][2][5] A folk song pairs a good horse and a fair sweetheart who „la inimă mă răzbună” “cheer my heart”.^[5]

The sense “to avenge, to take revenge” became the main one.^[2][3] The back-formed noun răzbun “revenge” is recorded from 1620, răzbunător “avenger; vindictive” from 1831 in Heliade-Rădulescu, and the regional răzbuneală means both revenge and clearing weather.^[4]

Timeline

• 1582 – “to rest” in the Palia de la Orăștie, the first record.^[4][5]
• 1620 – the noun răzbun “revenge” in Moxa.^[4]
• 1831 – răzbunător “avenger” in Heliade-Rădulescu.^[4]
• 1906 – the regional noun răzbuneală “revenge; clearing weather”.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (reflexive) To avenge oneself, take revenge on whoever has done one wrong; to vent one's anger on someone: S-a răzbunat pe fostul lui șef.^[2][1]
2. (transitive) To avenge someone who cannot get justice alone, by punishing the wrongdoer for them; to make up for a wrong.^[2][8]
3. (popular, reflexive, of the weather) To clear up, become fine;^[2][4] (of clouds) to scatter.^[2][4]
4. (popular) In a răzbuna de inimă: to cheer someone up.^[2][5]

Word family

• răzbunare
• răzbunător

Related words

• bun
• îmbuna

Usage notes

The present is răzbun, răzbună; a regional present răzbunez and the old spellings răsbuna, resbuna are recorded.^[2][8]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 921
3. ^ a b Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. răzbuna
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. bun
5. ^ a b c d e f Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. răzbuna
6. ^ 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. bun
7. ^ Cunia, Tiberius (2008), Dictsiunar a limbãljei armãneascã, Editsii Timpurarã (after T. Papahagi, Ș. Mihăileanu and I. Dalametra; online at dixionline.net), p. 113
8. ^ a b Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 652