vetrice

Forms

vetrice f (plural vetrice)^[1]

Etymology

Ciorănescu takes it as inherited from Latin vītex (“chaste tree”), probably through a Vulgar Latin form *vitricem, which also explains Italian vetrice (“osier willow”).^[2][3][1][4] The Academy dictionaries instead set up a Latin *vietrix.^[5][6]

For the plant sense Tiktin compared Serbo-Croatian vratič, Polish wrotycz and Hungarian varadics, all names of tansy, while noting the Italian word.^[7] DEX gives only the Serbo-Croatian comparison, and Scriban takes the plant name from Serbian and Bulgarian.^[8][9] Wiktionary adds Proto-Slavic *vortičь as a possible source, or a blend of the Latin and Slavic words.^[1] NODEX calls the insect name of unknown origin.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin's first record is from 1868, in Barcianu's dictionary.^[7] MDA2 dates it from Baronzi's book of 1872 on the Romanian language.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The word names two unrelated things: tansy, a plant of folk medicine put in the bath of women after childbirth and used against fevers, and the mayfly and its larvae, used by fishermen on the Danube as bait.^[5][7] Scriban linked the two senses through the idea of turning or transformation.^[9] In Strehaia it also means diarrhoea.^[5]

The DLR explains the variant vertice by metathesis and vintrice by association with vintre.^[5]

Timeline

• 1868 – the first record, in Barcianu's dictionary.^[7]
• 1872 – vertice in Baronzi.^[6][5]
• 1893–1895 – Damé glosses it with French tanaisie.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. tansy: an aromatic herbaceous plant with golden-yellow flowers in flat clusters, used in folk medicine (Chrysanthemum vulgare, Tanacetum vulgare).^[8][1]
2. (regional) The mayfly or its larva (Ephemera).^[8][7][1]

Usage notes

Old and regional variants include vatrice, vătrice, vintrice, vetrigă and vitriță.^[5][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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. vetrice
3. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 9389
4. ^ Dima, Eugenia (coord.) (2007), Dicționar explicativ ilustrat al limbii române, Chișinău: Arc / Gunivas, p. s.v. vetrice
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. vetrice
6. ^ a b c d Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1467
7. ^ 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. vetrice
8. ^ a b c DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1195
9. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1403
10. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. vetrice
11. ^ Damé, Frédéric (1893–1895), Nouveau dictionnaire roumain-français, 4 vols., Bucarest: Imprimerie de l'État, p. s.v. vetrice