întâi
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
- întăi — Moldavia (region)
- întii — Transylvania
- întâni — Banat
- întâiu — dated
- întâniu — archaic
Etymology
From archaic and dialectal întâniu, from Vulgar Latin *antaneus, metathesis of Latin *anteanus (cf. French French ancien), from Latin ante, or alternatively from a root *antevenium, from anteveniō. Compare Aromanian ntãnj, ntãnjiu.
First attested in c. 1500.
Pronunciation
Adjective
întâi m or n (feminine singular întâie or întâi, plural întâi) (slightly literary)
Usage notes
In articulated constructions, întâi is (as is the case for any Romanian adjective) found either postposited and unarticulated, or preposited and articulated.
The first construction signifies that the item is the first in a numbered, defined series, just like an English postposited one: clasa întâi “first grade/first class”; partea întâi “part one”; batalionul întâi “the first battalion”; ziua întâi “day one”. This construction does not allow feminine nouns to take the indefinite feminine întâie, though exceptions are found in dated usage.
The second does not have these connotations: întâia dată “the first time”; întâiul motiv “the first reason”; întâii locuitori “the first inhabitants”.
The less common unarticulated usage does require that feminine nouns take the regular form întâie: un întâi pas “a first step”; o întâie apariție “a first appearance”.
Declension
Adverb
întâi
Usage notes
Mai very often precedes the adverb, especially in informal usage.
Noun
întâi (archaic)
References
- întâi in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
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