apuca

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Romanian

Etymology

Possibly from metathesis of a Vulgar Latin aucupāre, from Latin aucupārī. Other theories suggest Latin occupāre, with meaning influenced by or confused with the former. Compare Aromanian apuc.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.puˈka/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: a‧pu‧ca
  • Rhymes: -a

Verb

a apuca (third-person singular present apucă, past participle apucat) 1st conjugation

  1. (transitive) to grab, grip, grasp, seize
  2. (reflexive, somewhat informal) to start, endeavour, begin to do something
    a se apuca de treabăto get to work
  3. (catenative, rather informal) to get to do something
  4. (transitive) to live to see something, either by living long enough or by being born early enough
    Copilul nu l-a apucat pe străbunicul său.
    The child didn’t get to meet his great-grandfather.
  5. (transitive, now uncommon) to have a tradition be passed down
  6. (transitive, of a point in time, informal) to catch someone unready
    a îl apuca searato not be done by nightfall
    Pe constructori o să îi apuce iarna și tot nu o să fie gata.
    Winter will come and the builders still will not be ready.
  7. (intransitive or transitive with placeholder o, now informal, less common) to head
  8. (transitive, of a mental state or physical manifestation, informal) to come upon somebody
    a îl apuca plânsulto start crying
  9. (transitive, of an out of line behaviour, informal) to come upon somebody
    a îl apuca pandaliileto throw a fit
    Te-a apucat să fluieri? Fă liniște!
    Did you suddenly think to whistle? Shut up!
    • 2003, Constantin Popescu, transl., Punct contrapunct, Polirom, translation of Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley, published 2014, →ISBN, chapter 8:
      Ce l-a apucat să devină sentimental din pricina unui cuplu fericit?
      What’s come to him, for him to get sentimental because of a happy couple?
  10. (reflexive, obsolete) to take it upon oneself
  11. (transitive, obsolete) to usurp, take for oneself

Conjugation

Synonyms

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References