zâmbet

Forms

zâmbet n (plural zâmbete)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian zâmbi (“to smile”) + -et, a deverbal noun from the verb.^[2][3][1][4] Scriban and NODEX give the same analysis.^[5][6]

Zâmbi is a Slavic loan: MDA2 gives a reconstructed Old Church Slavonic source and compares Bulgarian замби (zambi, “to grin”).^[3] Wiktionary traces the verb to Old Church Slavonic зѫбъ (zǫbŭ, “tooth”), from Proto-Slavic *zǫbъ (“tooth”), and compares зъбя се (zăbja se).^[1] Cihac had already connected it with the Slavic word for “tooth”, the original sense being to bare or grind the teeth.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

MDA2's first record is in Petru Maior's Dialog of 1819, printed at Buda, in the sense “smile”.^[3] The verb is much older: Tiktin has zâmbi from about 1660, and MDA2 from the Anonymus Caransebesiensis, a Romanian–Latin glossary of about 1650–1700.^[8][3]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed “smile”: a slight widening of the lips that shows joy or satisfaction, and the look of a face that smiles.^[3] Cihac in 1879 recorded zîmbet beside zimbire for “smile”.^[7] In poetry it is used figuratively of light, a shining or sparkling of the sun or the moon.^[9][4] Old forms include zâmbit and zimbet, with an old plural zâmbituri; regional speech has zâmzât and zingi.^[3] It competes with the synonym surâs.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1650-1700 – the verb zâmbi in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis.^[3]
• 1819 – zâmbet in Petru Maior's Dialog.^[3]
• 1875 – zîmbetu “smile” in Antonescu's dictionary.^[10]
• 1879 – Cihac records zîmbet under the verb.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A smile: a light movement of the lips that shows joy, kindness or irony;^[2][3][1] un zâmbet de mulțumire “a smile of satisfaction”.^[2][3][1]
2. The smiling look of a face.^[3][11]
3. (figurative) A gleam, a shining of light.^[4][9]

Related words

• zâmbi
• surâs

Usage notes

A-i încremeni zâmbetul pe buze “to have the smile freeze on one's lips” is a set phrase.^[11] In the 1953–1993 spelling the word was written zîmbet.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 1219
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1547
4. ^ a b c Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 951
5. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1442
6. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. zâmbet
7. ^ a b c Cihac, A. de (1879), Dictionnaire d'étymologie daco-romane II: Éléments slaves, magyars, turcs, grecs-moderne et albanais, Frankfurt am Main, p. 472
8. ^ Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. zâmbi
9. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 4, 757
10. ^ Antonescu, G. M. (1875), Dictionariu romanu-francesu, Bucuresci: Typografia Curții (Lucrători Associați), p. 336
11. ^ a b Dima, Eugenia (coord.) (2007), Dicționar explicativ ilustrat al limbii române, Chișinău: Arc / Gunivas, p. s.v. zîmbet