subraț

Forms

subraț n (plural subrațe)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian sub- + braț, “under” plus “arm”, on the model of French sous-bras.^[2][3][4] The DLR gives the French word as the direct source, and MDA2 and the DEX only the Romanian parts.^[5][3][4] Wiktionary adds that it may correspond to Vulgar Latin *subbracchium and compares Galician sobrazo.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELR's first record is a text by Ardeleanu of 1929, with the sense “armpit”; the DLRLC quotes Ardeleanu for la subraț “under the arm”: tavern fiddlers coming in with their violins under their arms.^[2][6] MDA2's first record is the Mic dicționar enciclopedic of 1972.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Besides the hollow under the arm, the word names the part of a garment that covers it, the line that marks the depth of the armhole, and (mostly in the plural) the dress shield sewn there against sweat, the sense the DLR takes from French.^[4][3][5] The adverbial la subraț “under one's arm” describes how a thing is carried.^[3][6]

Timeline

• 1929 – Ardeleanu, the first record.^[2]
• 1972 – the Mic dicționar enciclopedic, MDA2's first record.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The armpit; subsuoară, axilă.^[4][3][1]
2. The line marking the depth of the armhole of a garment; the part of a garment over the armpit.^[4][3]
3. (mostly plural) A dress shield: a piece of cloth sewn under the arm of a garment to protect it from sweat.^[5]

Related words

• braț
• subsuoară

Usage notes

In la subraț “under the arm” the word works as an adverb: Ținea cartea la subraț.^[3][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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. braț
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1035
4. ^ a b c d e DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1066
5. ^ a b c Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. subraț
6. ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 4, 284