Latvian

Noun

pleca m

1. genitive singular form of plecs

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin plicāre, present active infinitive of plicō ‎(“I fold”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- ‎(“to plait, to weave”). Compare Aromanian plec, plicari. The semantic shift from "fold" to "leave" may be because to Proto-Romanian speakers, the word became associated with the folding up of tents to leave and move, especially as the pastoral lifestyle was important in their culture (cf. also the Latin expression plicāre tentōria, in the military context of folding up tents in a camp to move on). In contrast, Iberian Romance languages developed the opposite meaning from the same Latin word; compare Spanish llegar ‎(“to arrive”), Portuguese chegar ‎(“to arrive”); here, naval tradition was more important and the meaning may have come from folding sails when arriving at port.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -a

Verb

a pleca ‎(third-person singular present pleacă, past participle plecat) 1st conj.

1. to leave, depart

   Când pleci la mare?

   When are you leaving for the sea?

2. (archaic) to bow

Conjugation

Derived terms

• plecare
• plecat
• plecăciune

Related terms

• apleca
• îndupleca

See also

• ieși