fur

fur¹ thief

Etymology tree of fur¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin fur

Aromanian fur

From the same root · fur¹

Latin furax ← fur

Forms

fur m (plural furi)^[1]

• Cunia gives it as noun and adjective: feminine furã, plural furi, feminine plural furi or fure.^[2]
• Other spellings: FÚR, plural fúri, in Papahagi's dictionary;^[3] für in Weigand's glossary;^[4] fur, plural furi, and the feminine furā in the village of Turia.^[5]
• With a prothetic a-: afur in Nikolaidis, as Pascu records it,^[6] and in Cunia and Wiktionary.^[2][1]

Etymology

The thief is inherited from Latin fūr (“thief”).^[3][6][1] The word is shared with archaic Romanian fur and Megleno-Romanian fur;^[7][8][9] the Latin word also survives in Italian furo and Old French fur.^[10][7]

De Vaan traces Latin fūr to Proto-Italic *fōr- and Proto-Indo-European *bʰōr (“thief”), with the cognate Ancient Greek φώρ (phṓr, “thief”); he mentions the older view that Latin borrowed the Greek word, and doubts it because of the many Latin derivatives.^[11] Wiktionary connects the Proto-Indo-European noun with the root *bʰer- (“to carry”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Boiagi's grammar of 1813 is among the sources Pascu cites for fur "thief, brigand".^[6]

Semantic evolution

The Latin sense "thief" is kept;^[12][2] Papahagi's quotations also use it for brigands in the mountains.^[3] Cunia records es fur, "to go off to the mountains as a brigand", and the saying furlu acatsã furlu "it takes a thief to catch a thief"; a woman who da pãni a furlor ("gives bread to thieves") is a dishonest one.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1813 – fur “thief” in Boiagi's grammar, as cited by Pascu.^[6]
• 1894 – für “robber” in Weigand's glossary.^[4]
• 2005 – fur, feminine furā, “thief” in the village of Turia.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A thief, robber.^[2][3][1]
2. A brigand.^[3][6]

Adjective

1. Thieving.^[2]

Word family

• furac
• furami
• furilji
• furescu
• furcudar
• furtu

fur² to steal

Etymology tree of fur²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin furo

Aromanian fur

From the same root · fur²

Latin furia ← furo

Latin furibundus ← furo

Forms

fur (third-person singular furã, participle furatã)^[1]

• First conjugation: aorist furai, imperfect furam, participle furatã, verbal noun furari.^[2]
• Other spellings: FUR (furái, -rát, -ráre) in Papahagi's dictionary;^[3] fúru (furái, furátă, furáre) in Mihăileanu's Romanian-based spelling;^[13] furu (furai, furatu) in Katsanis and Dinas's verb list.^[14]
• Wiktionary also gives furu, afur and afuru;^[1] Pascu records afurare in Nikolaidis and Mihăileanu.^[15]

Etymology

The verb is inherited from Vulgar Latin fūrō (“to steal”), the active form of Latin fūror (“to steal”);^[1] Papahagi, Pascu and Katsanis and Dinas cite the Latin verb in its active infinitive.^[3][15][14] It is shared with Romanian fura and Megleno-Romanian fur;^[15][8][9] Italian furare and Old French furer continue the same Latin verb.^[10]

Latin fūror is formed from fūr (“thief”).^[12] De Vaan traces fūr to Proto-Italic *fōr- and Proto-Indo-European *bʰōr (“thief”).^[11]

Semantic evolution

Besides "to steal", Aromanian uses the reflexive mi fur for slipping away unseen (s-furã di-acasã "he stole away from home"); Papahagi compares the same reflexive sense in old Romanian texts.^[3][2] With somnul "sleep" as subject it means "to fall asleep": s-lu furã somnul "so that sleep takes him".^[16][2] A feeling can also "steal" someone: nj-ti furã dorlu shi jalea "longing and grief overcome you".^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1901 – fúru “to steal” in Mihăileanu's dictionary.^[13]
• 1905 – fur “to steal”, and l-furã somnul “he fell asleep”, in Papahagi's glossary of folk tales.^[16]
• 1990 – furu, first conjugation, in Katsanis and Dinas's verb list.^[14]

Meanings

Verb

1. To steal, rob.^[2][3][1]
2. (reflexive) To slip away secretly.^[2][3]
3. (of sleep, as subject) To come over someone;^[2][16] mi furã somnul “I fall asleep”.^[2][16]

Word family

• furat
• furari

fur³ oven

Etymology tree of fur³

inherited borrowed derived

Latin furnus

Aromanian fur

From the same root · fur³

Latin fornix ← furnus

Latin praefurnium ← furnus

Forms

fur n (plural fururi)^[17]

• FUR, plural fúre, which Papahagi labels northern;^[3] fúru in Mihăileanu's dictionary;^[13] fur beside furnu in Dalametra's.^[18]
• Papahagi also records FÚRRU "oven".^[19]

Etymology

The oven is a short form of furnu: Pascu lists this form among its forms,^[15] and Cunia and Papahagi refer to furnu for it.^[17][3] Furnu is inherited from Latin furnus (“oven, bakehouse”).^[15][1][12] Papahagi compares Albanian furrë,^[3] which REW lists among the descendants of the Latin word, with Italian forno and French four.^[10]

Latin furnus had an older form fornus;^[12] Wiktionary traces it through Proto-Italic *fornos to Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰer- (“to be warm”).^[1]

Timeline

• 1901 – fúru “oven” in Mihăileanu's dictionary.^[13]
• 1906 – fur beside furnu in Dalametra's dictionary.^[18]

Meanings

Noun

1. An oven, for baking bread and other food.^[20][3][13]