verdict

Forms

verdict n (plural verdicte)^[1] Costinescu's dictionary of 1870 spells it Verdictŭ, with the final ⟨ŭ⟩ of the time.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French verdict.^[3][4][5][1] DN also names English verdict as a source.^[6] The French word was borrowed during the Revolution, in 1790, from the English word, which comes from Anglo-Norman verdit (“jury's judgement”), made of ver (“true”) and dit (“said”).^[7][8] Scriban explains the ⟨c⟩ as a remodelling after Latin dictum (“word, saying”).^[8] In 1787 French also took up veredictum (“truly said”) in this sense.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Titu Maiorescu's parliamentary speeches, in the volume for 1866–1876, of an appeal by the prosecutor general against a jury's verdict.^[5][4] The sense was the answer of a jury on the guilt of the accused.^[5]

Semantic evolution

From the jurors' answer the word passed to the sentence of a court with a jury, then to any court sentence.^[5][4] Figuratively it is a final opinion or decision that admits no contradiction, as when Odobescu gave his verdict on some translations from Herodotus.^[9][3] DN and DEXI also record the judgement of a contest.^[6][10]

Timeline

• 1866–1876 – the first record, in Maiorescu's parliamentary speeches.^[4][5]
• 1870 – Verdictŭ “the declaration of the jury” in Costinescu's dictionary.^[2]
• 1929 – the figurative sense of an opinion on any matter in Șăineanu.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. (law) The verdict of a jury on the guilt or innocence of the accused, on which the sentence is based; by extension the sentence of a jury court, and generally any court sentence.^[3][4]
2. (figurative) A final decision or opinion that admits no contradiction.^[3][12]
3. The judgement given at the end of a contest.^[6][10]

Usage notes

The plural is verdicte;^[3][6] DN also gives verdicturi.^[3][6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Costinescu, Ion (1870), Vocabularu romano-francesu, 2 vols., Bucuresci, p. 2, 687
3. ^ a b c d e f DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1193
4. ^ a b c d e Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1458
5. ^ 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. verdict
6. ^ a b c d e Marcu, Florin; Maneca, Constant (1986), Dicționar de neologisme, 3rd ed., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste România, p. s.v. verdict
7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1400
9. ^ Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 4, 645
10. ^ a b Dima, Eugenia (coord.) (2007), Dicționar explicativ ilustrat al limbii române, Chișinău: Arc / Gunivas, p. s.v. verdict
11. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 693
12. ^ Costăchescu, Adriana; Dincă, Daniela; Dragoste, Ramona; Popescu, Mihaela; Scurtu, Gabriela (2009–2010), Dicționar de împrumuturi lexicale din limba franceză (DILF), 2 vols., Craiova: Universitaria, p. s.v. verdict