termen

Forms

termen n (plural termene) “time limit”; m (plural termeni) “term, word”^[1][2] The older form termin was common in the 18th and 19th centuries: „pin la numitul termin” “by the appointed date” (1776).^[3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin termen (“boundary stone”), with some of its senses taken from French terme.^[2][5][1] MDA2 and DLR give Latin terminus beside the Latin and French words, and Tiktin gives only the Latin variant in ⟨-us⟩.^[4][3][6] Gabinschi describes it as an international word of Latin origin, with Italian termine, German Termin and Russian термин (termin) among its models.^[7]

The Latin word goes back to Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ (“boundary”).^[1][8] Romanian also kept the Latin word by inheritance in țărm “shore”, its doublet.^[1][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is in Dosoftei's lives of the saints (1682–1686), dated 1683.^[6] MDA2 starts from a document of 1776 with termin as the date fixed for paying.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The oldest senses are a limit in space or time, an end, and a fixed date for a payment or obligation.^[3][4] A pune termen meant “to put an end”.^[4] From the due date came the sum to be paid at that date: Șăineanu notes rent paid in two instalments, în două termene.^[10] A soldier în termen is one doing his regular military service.^[2]

Beside these, the masculine took the sense “word, expression”, the technical senses of logic and mathematics and the phrase a fi în termeni buni cu cineva “to be on good terms with someone”.^[6][2] Ciorănescu and DEX put some of the senses down to French terme.^[5][2] The compound termen-limită, after English deadline, is recorded from 1971.^[11]

Timeline

• 1683 – the first record, in Dosoftei.^[6]
• 1776 – termin “appointed date” in a document.^[4][3]
• 1929 – “sum payable at a fixed date”.^[10]
• 1971 – termen-limită “deadline”.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. (neuter) A fixed date by which an obligation must be met or something done, a deadline;^[2] în termen “on time”; also a condition in a treaty: Termenul de plată este vineri.^[2]
2. (neuter) A period set in advance within which something must happen;^[2] în termen de “within”.^[2]
3. (neuter, dated) A limit, border or end.^[2]
4. (masculine, military) În termen: doing regular military service.^[2]
5. (masculine) A word or expression; a technical term of a field: termeni medicali.^[2]
6. (masculine plural) A fi în termeni buni cu cineva: to be on good terms with someone.^[2]
7. (masculine, mathematics) Each monomial of a polynomial, or each number of a progression or ratio.^[2]

Related words

• țărm
• Latin termen

Usage notes

The two plurals split the meanings: termene (neuter) for dates and time limits, termeni (masculine) for words and expressions, the terms of a relation and the terms of mathematics and logic.^[2][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1119
3. ^ a b c d e Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. termen
4. ^ a b c d e f Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1204
5. ^ a b 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. termen
6. ^ a b c d e Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. termen
7. ^ Gabinschi, Marcu (2001), Dicționar de dublete etimologice ale limbii române, 2nd ed., Chișinău: Litera, p. 176
8. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
9. ^ Graur, Alexandru (1980), Cuvinte înrudite, București: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică
10. ^ a b Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 649
11. ^ a b Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. termen