zeiță

Forms

zeiță f (plural zeițe, masculine equivalent zeu)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Romanian zeu + -iță, the masculine word for “god” with a feminine suffix.^{[2][3][4][5][1]}

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Pleșoianu's translation of Fénelon's Telemachus (1831), already in the sense “goddess”: „Tot ce e vrednic de mirare este că a ascuns pe zeiţă subt o figură omenească” “what is most to be wondered at is that he hid the goddess under a human figure”.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

The word spread with translations and schoolbooks about classical myth: a periodical of 1838 explains that Fortuna was the goddess of luck for the ancients.^[4] Romanian had several other words for a goddess: the learned zee, the old zână and the rare zeoaie and zeie.^[3][4] Scriban noted that some writers tried to use zeie in the singular.^[6]

Figurative uses followed: a very beautiful woman, or a woman who is adored.^[3][2] The word also names abstract powers treated as deities, as in Galaction's “goddesses of madness” or “democracy”, “the goddess of the day”.^[4][7]

Timeline

• 1831 – in Pleșoianu's translation of Fénelon's Telemachus, the first record.^[3][4]
• 1838 – Fortuna called the goddess of luck in a periodical.^[4]
• 1839 – the first date Tiktin gives.^[5]
• 1929 – Șăineanu adds the sense “very beautiful woman”.^[8]
• 1939 – Scriban records the attempt to use zeie instead.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A goddess: a female deity of a pagan religion: zeița vânătorii “the goddess of hunting”.^[2][3]
2. (figurative) A very beautiful woman.^[3][9]
3. (figurative) A woman who is adored or deeply loved and admired.^[2][3]

Related words

• zeu
• zeitate
• zână
• zee

References

1. ^ a b c 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. 1222
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 2, 1562
4. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română (1965–2010), Dicționarul limbii române (DLR), serie nouă, tom I–XIX, București: Editura Academiei Române, p. s.v. zeiță
5. ^ a b Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. zeiță
6. ^ a b Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1437
7. ^ Dima, Eugenia (coord.) (2007), Dicționar explicativ ilustrat al limbii române, Chișinău: Arc / Gunivas, p. s.v. zeiță
8. ^ Șăineanu, Lazăr (1929), Dicționar universal al limbei române, 6th ed., Craiova: Scrisul Românesc, p. 1, 708
9. ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. zeiță