tactică

Forms

tactică f (plural tactici)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French tactique, the source DEX, DN, MDA2 and the DLR name.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} Tiktin gives a multiple source: Modern Greek τακτική (taktikí), German Taktik and French.^[6] The French word is a borrowing from Ancient Greek τακτική (taktikḗ) (the art of arranging troops), the noun use of τακτικός (taktikós, “concerning arrangement”), from τάσσω (tássō, “to arrange, set in order”).^[7][3] French had it as a noun from the middle of the 17th century.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from 1782.^[6] Budai-Deleanu's lexicon of about 1818 has the military sense.^[5][4] In 1830 a text quoted by the DLR writes that European tactics surpass the enemy through discipline.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The word began as a military term, the art of drawing up and handling troops in battle: Negulici defines it so in 1848, adding a figurative use for any means of attack, defence or conduct in an affair.^[8] Costinescu (1870) also has the art of steering an intrigue.^[9] Russo imagined himself at the head of a battalion trained in European tactics, and Odobescu applied it to the drilled flight of starlings.^[10]

In the 20th century it gained a political sense, the line of conduct a party or movement follows for a short period, and generally the set of means used to succeed in an undertaking.^[2][4][3]

Timeline

• 1782 – first record.^[6]
• c. 1818 – in Budai-Deleanu's lexicon.^[5][4]
• 1830 – „tactica europeiască” “European tactics”.^[5]
• 1848 – entered in Negulici's dictionary of neologisms.^[8]
• 1870 – Costinescu adds the art of steering an intrigue.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (military) tactics: the part of the art of war that deals with organising and conducting combat.^[2][4]
2. The line of conduct of a political party or social movement over a short period.^[2][4]
3. (by extension) the means used to succeed in an action: a stratagem or plan.^[2][11]

Related words

• tactic
• tactician

Usage notes

The same form is the feminine of the adjective tactic “tactical”, from the same French word.^[2][1] An older masculine noun tactic “tactician” came from German Taktiker.^[5][4]

References

1. ^ a b c 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. 1099
3. ^ a b c Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. tactică
4. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1148
5. ^ 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. tactic
6. ^ a b c Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. tactică
7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Negulici, I. D. (1848), Vocabular romînesc de toate vorbele streine întroduse pînă acum în limba romînească și de toate cuvintele ce s-ar mai putea introduce încă, București, p. s.v. tactică
9. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 2, 593
10. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 4, 375
11. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. tactică