sâmcea

Forms

sâmcea f (plural sâmcele)^[1]

Etymology

Ciorănescu, after Candrea and Rosetti, takes it as inherited from Vulgar Latin *summicēlla, a diminutive formed on summa (“top, summit”).^[2][1] Tiktin gives this explanation as one of two possible ones.^[3]

The older view, held by Cihac, Körting, Pușcariu and the REW, derives it from *senticēlla, a diminutive of sentis (“thorn bush”).^[2][4] The REW doubts the alternative, because of the meaning “very tip”.^[4] The DLRM gives only the derivation from the thorn-bush word.^[5] Scriban compares it with the same Latin form and with zimțea.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is Varlaam's Cazania of 1643.^[3] The Apostol of 1646 has it in the question „Greu îți iaste ție a călca în simceao țepiei?” “is it hard for you to tread on the point of the goad?”.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In the old literary language of Moldavia, Banat and Transylvania it meant the sharp point or edge of a thing, and a peak or crest: the points of arrows, the tops of mountains.^[7][3] Figuratively it was the utmost limit, the end: Dosoftei writes of reaching sâmceaua vârstei “the peak of one's age” and of disciples come to sâmceaoa învățăturii “the end of their schooling”.^[7][3] Cantemir has sâmceaoa condeiului “the point of the pen”.^[7]

Today the word is rare.^[1] Regionally it names a pocket knife in Oltenia and Transylvania, the blade of a knife, a shoemaker's knife, and in Oltenia the plural means the first light of dawn.^[2][6] The derivatives sâmcela “to dawn”, sâmcelat “pointed” and sâmcelos “peaked” are Oltenian too.^[2]

Timeline

• 1643 – Varlaam's Cazania, the first record.^[3]
• 1646 – simceao in the Apostol of 1646.^[7]
• 1648 – sâmceaoa in the New Testament of Bălgrad, at Acts 9:5.^[3]
• 1688 – sâmcea and sâmceaua in the Bucharest Bible.^[8]
• 1705 – simceaoa “the top” of a mountain in Cantemir's Istoria ieroglifică.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (uncommon) A tip, top or peak; the summit of a mountain.^[1][5][7]
2. (uncommon) A thorn or spike; the sharp point of a knife or an arrow.^[1][9][2]
3. (uncommon) A beak.^[1][2]
4. (obsolete, figurative) The utmost limit, the end.^[7][6]
5. (regional) A pocket knife;^[2][6] (in the plural, Oltenia) the first light of dawn.^[2][6]

Word family

• sâmcela
• sâmcelat
• sâmcelos

Usage notes

A fixed simile, ascuțit ca o sâmcea de cuțit “sharp as the point of a knife”, is used of a steep, pointed hill.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. sîmcea
3. ^ a b c d e f g Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. sâmceá
4. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 6823
5. ^ a b Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 742
6. ^ a b c d e Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1208
7. ^ a b c d e f g Costinescu, Mariana; Georgescu, Magdalena; Zgraon, Florentina (1987), Dicționarul limbii române literare vechi (1640–1780): termeni regionali, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, p. 1, 265
8. ^ Biblia, adecă Dumnezeiasca Scriptură a ceii vechi și a ceii noao leage, București, 1688 (ed. 1988, tricentennial edition), p. Mt 5:18
9. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 4, 142