reface

Forms

reface (third-person singular present refac, past participle refăcut, third-person subjunctive refacă), 3rd conjugation^[1][2]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian re- + face, on the model of French refaire.^[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary takes the verb from the French word itself, and the MDN also gives only the French model.^[1][6] The French verb is formed from re- and faire.^[1] The NODEX gives only the Romanian prefix and verb.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pontbriant's Romanian–French dictionary of 1862 has the verb, glossed with French “refaire, recommencer, faire de nouveau”, that is, to do or make again.^[8][9] Antonescu's dictionary of 1875 has it too.^[10] MDA2 names Damé's dictionary of 1893–1895 as the first record.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is to make again something badly made or partly destroyed, to repair it, and by extension to change or transform it.^[2][4] Șăineanu's dictionary of 1929 defined it as making something again and better.^[11] Another sense is to bring something back to the good state it was in before, to rebuild it.^[2][12] From there the verb came to be used of people regaining their health, and of tissues that regenerate.^[2][3] The DLR quotes Macedonski's figurative use: „Refă-mă omul care-am fost” “make me again the man I was”.^[4] In some regions it also means to distil plum brandy a second time.^[3]

Timeline

• 1862 – reface in Pontbriant's Romanian–French dictionary.^[9]
• 1875 – in Antonescu's dictionary, glossed with French refaire.^[10]
• 1893–1895 – in Damé's Romanian–French dictionary, the first record MDA2 gives.^[3]
• 1929 – Șăineanu defines it as to make again and better.^[11]

Meanings

Verb

1. To make again something that was badly made or partly destroyed; to repair; by extension, to change or transform: A refăcut lucrarea de la început.^[2][3]
2. (reflexive, of a tissue) To regenerate.^[2][3]
3. To bring back to the good or flourishing state it had before; to rebuild.^[2][12]
4. (figurative, also reflexive) To recover one's health, to get well again: După o lună la munte s-a refăcut.^[2][5]
5. (regional) To distil țuică a second time.^[3]

Word family

• refacere

Related words

• face
• preface
• French refaire

References

1. ^ a b c 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. 933
3. ^ 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, 675
4. ^ a b c Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. refáce
5. ^ a b Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. reface
6. ^ Marcu, Florin (2000), Marele dicționar de neologisme, București: Saeculum Vizual, p. s.v. reface
7. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. reface
8. ^ Pontbriant, Raoul de (1862), Dictiunaru romano-francesu, Bucuresci: A. Ulrich / Göttingen: Dieterich
9. ^ a b Pontbriant, Raoul de (1862), Dictiunaru romano-francesu, Bucuresci: A. Ulrich / Göttingen: Dieterich, p. 616
10. ^ a b Antonescu, G. M. (1875), Dictionariu romanu-francesu, Bucuresci: Typografia Curții (Lucrători Associați), p. 261
11. ^ a b Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 540
12. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 3, 708