List of Romanian words of possible pre-Roman origin

The Eastern Romance languages developed from the Proto-Romanian language, which in turn developed from the Vulgar Latin spoken in a region of the Balkans which has not yet been exactly determined, but is generally agreed to have been a region north of the Jireček Line.

thumb|200px|The Jireček Line

That there was language contact between Latin or Vulgar Latin speakers and speakers of indigenous Paleo-Balkan languages in the area is a certainty; however, it is not known which Paleo-Balkan language or languages comprise the substratal influence in the Eastern Romance languages.

In addition to vocabulary items, some other features of Eastern Romance, such as phonological features and elements of grammar (see Balkan sprachbund) may also be from Paleo-Balkan languages.

Lexical items

Older Romanian etymological dictionaries tended to assume a borrowing in many cases, usually from a Slavic language or from Hungarian, but etymological analysis may show that, in many cases, the direction of borrowing was from Romanian to the neighboring languages. The current Dicționar explicativ (DEX) published by the Romanian Academy continues to list many words as borrowings, though the work of other linguists (Sorin Olteanu, Sorin Paliga, Ivan Duridanov, et al.) may indicate that a number of these are in fact indigenous, from local Indo-European languages.

Though the substratum status of many Romanian words is not much disputed, their status as Dacian words is controversial, some more than others. There are no significant surviving written examples of the Dacian language, so it is difficult to verify in most cases whether a given Romanian word is actually from Dacian or not. Many of the pre-Roman lexical items of Romanian have Albanian parallels, and if they are in fact substratum words cognates with the Albanian ones, and not loanwords from Albanian, it indicates that the substrate language of Romanian may have been on the same Indo-European branch as Albanian.

The Bulgarian Thracologist Vladimir Georgiev developed the theory that the Romanian language has a "Daco-Moesian" language as its substrate, a hypothesized language that according to him had a number of features which distinguished it from the Thracian language spoken further south, across the Haemus range.

According to Romanian historian , there are supposedly over 160 Romanian words of Dacian origin, representing, together with derivates, 10% of the basic Romanian vocabulary. But through the scantly documented Dacian linguistic material such origin can't be proven. Attested Dacian plant names that were collected by Dioscorides and Pseudo-Apuleius do not belong to the Romanian lexicon.

Below is a list of Romanian words of possible pre-Roman origin. Some early scholars have speculated that they are of Dacian origin, but there is no evidence for it. A number of the words are clear loanwords from attested languages.

{| class="wikitable"

! Word / Name !! English !! Sources !! Notes – Alternative etymologies

| abeș || really, for sure! || Hasdeu, Vraciu, Paliga || dialectal Banat; a+beș < IE *bhend(s)- 'to bind', cf. Albanian besë 'word of honor; faith', besabesë 'on my honor!'

|Abud

|Abud, village in Mureș County

|Paliga

|Prefix ab (see above) + urca: ultimately from Pre-Indo-European *OR- / *UR- 'big, huge, giant' related with Greek ouranizo 'to go up, to climb' derived from Ouranos 'sky'.

|ad-, at-

| rowspan="2" |Paliga

|Pre-Indo-European, spread across whole Europe. Inherited via Thracian.

|adaru

|I make; I set up, I set an ornament

|Aromanian; from Indo-European *der-, dra- 'to work'; cf. Greek δράω, Lithuanian daraù, Latvian darît 'to make'

|adulmeca

|'to sniff, to smell'

| rowspan="5" |Paliga

|probably *ad-ul-m-ec-a. Substatum root -ulm- related to olm <nowiki/>smell'; derivative suffix -ec also indigenous. Similar construction to adămană, ademeni. The Thracian root must be *olm-, *ulm- 'smell, to smell; to sniff; to track an animal for hunt' or dul-, dol- 'dog', see dulău, dolcă.

|Agnita

|Agnita, Serbia

| rowspan="2" |Paliga

|cf. Thracian, Ancient Greek Aegitna, Aigaios

|amurg, -uri

|'sunset'

|related to the name of the Greek island Amorgós, and amorgís, -ídos textile plant (Chantraine). Probably from Preie. *AM-, *AN-

| andrea || knitting needle || Russu || Muntenian/Transylvanian undrea; from Andrea, Undrea 'December', from Greek Andréas 'St. Andrew's Day' (Nov. 30th); from the tradition of knitting socks on St. Andrew's Day. Similar to Alb. shëndreu 'November', after Shën Ndreu 'St. Andrew'.

| argea || loom || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu || plural argele; from Greek argaleiós; also Albanian dial. argali 'small, wooden loom' (< Gk)

| baligă || dung, manure (used mostly for cow dung) || rowspan="2" | Russu (Alb.) || Aromanian baligã, Megleno-Romanian balig, Istro-Romanian bålege; from Old Albanian baljëgë (modern bajgë, dial. balgë, balëg, balëgë); also Serbo-Croatian bȁlega (< Alb)

| baltă || pool, puddle || Aromanian baltã, Megleno-Romanian baltă, Istro-Romanian bote; from Albanian baltë 'swamp'.

| barză || stork (Ciconia ciconia) || Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu, Olteanu || Oltenia bardăș, bardoș 'stork', Transylvanian/Aromanian/Megleno-Romanian bardzu 'white'; feminine of barz 'whitish (of birds)', from Albanian bardhë 'white', bardhosh, bardhash 'whitish'

| bălaur, balaur || dragon, monster || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu || from Serbo-Croatian blȁvor (variants blavur, blaor) 'scheltopusik', from Albanian bullar (var. buljar, bollar).

| băga || to insert, thrust || Russu || Aromanian bagu 'to put', Megleno-Romanian bagari; from Byzantine Greek bázo (βάζω) 'to put in or on, set down'

| băl, bălan, bălaș || fair-haired, blond (person); white-haired (animal) || Hasdeu || from Albanian bal(ë) 'white-haired; starred forehead', balosh, balash 'white-marked, piebald; dappled; hoary, white-haired'

| bâr || call to a sheep || Vraciu || from Albanian berr 'sheep or goat; small livestock'; cf. Czech beran 'ram', Polish/Ukrainian/Russian baran (< Romanian); Canavese berro 'ram', Piemontese bero 'id.' (< Alb)

| brad || fir (Abies) || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Olteanu || Aromanian brad; from Proto-Albanian *brada (modern bredh).

| brânză || cheese || Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu || Aromanian brãndzã, Megleno-Romanian brǫnză; from Albanian brëndës 'intestines; rennet bag (made of stomach)', identical to rânză (< rrëndës) (see below); Romanian lent Transylvanian German Pränz, Slovak/Polish bryndza, which gave Austrian Brimsen.

| brâu || belt, waist || rowspan="3" | Russu (Alb.) || dialectal brân, colloquial brână, Aromanian brãnu, Megleno-Romanian brǫn, Istro-Romanian brĕne; from Old Albanian *bren (modern brez 'belt; waist', mbrej 'to buckle'); replaced Transylvanian/Bucovina balț 'loop, eye(let), ring (of iron)' (cf. Aromanian balțu), from Latin balteus 'belt'.

| brusture || burdock (Arctium lappa) || Aromanian broshtur, brushturã; from Albanian brushtull 'heather'

| bucura || to be glad || also bucuros 'glad'; from Albanian bukuroj 'to beautify', bukurosh 'beautiful', both from bukur 'nice, lovely'

| bunget || dense, dark forest || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu || from Albanian bung 'chestnut oak' + Romanian -et 'grove'.

| burtă || belly, stomach || Russu || dialectal borț 'pregnant woman's belly'

| buză || lip; edge || Russu (Alb.) || Aromanian budzã "lip; brim"; from Albanian buzë "lip; edge"

|Buzău

|Buzău, Buzău county

|Paliga

| cioară || crow || Sala, Hasdeu, Vraciu || Aromanian cioarã, Megleno-Romanian čoară; from Old Albanian *corrë (mod. sorrë)

|Dac. *Dan-ar- cf. NFl Aar, Aare

| fărâmă || crumb, morsel, bit || rowspan="5" | Russu (Alb.) || variant sfărâmă, Aromanian sãrmã; from Albanian thërrime, from ther 'to stab, slaughter, snip'

| gard || fence || Istro-Romanian gård "wattle gate to a pen"; from Albanian gardh; unrelated to Slavic gradŭ > Alb gradë

| gata || ready, done || from Albanian gat(i) "ready", from gatuaj 'to ready, prepare; cook', from Slavic *gotovati; cf. Serbo-Croatian gotov "ready", Polish gotowy.

| gălbează || liver rot (fasciolosis), sheep pox || variant călbează; from Albanian gëlbazë, këlbazë, klëbacë 'sheep pox', itself from the Albanian word "kalb" (to rot, to go bad) with a diminutive suffix -zë, commonly seen in disease names.

| ghimpe || thorn || from Albanian gjemb (dialectal Tosk gjëmp, Arvanite gljimp, Gheg glëmp)

| ghionoaie || woodpecker || Sala, Russu (Alb.) || dialectal ghionoi, ghin, Aromanian ǵionu 'tawny owl'; from Albanian gjon 'scops owl', from Gjon 'John'; Albanian also has qukapik 'woodpecker' (< qukë 'owl' + pik 'woodpecker')

| ghiuj || gaffer, old fogey || Hasdeu, Vraciu || Aromanian ghiush; from Albanian gjysh "grandfather"

| gordin || kind of grapes used in winemaking || Hasdeu || variants gordean, g(o)ardină, gorgan, gordan; from Russian gordina "currant"

| grapă || harrow || rowspan="2" | Russu (Alb.) || from Albanian grep (var. grap) 'hook'.

| gresie || sandstone, whetstone || Aromanian greasã; from Albanian gërresë (var. grresë) 'rasp, scraper; drawing knife', from gërryej 'to scrape, scour'

| grumaz || neck || Russu (Alb.), NODEX || Aromanian grumadz, gurmadz; from Albanian gurmaz 'gaping maw, wide-open jaws; esophagus' (variants gurmac, grumas, gërmaz), itself from kurm 'trunk (of the body), torso' (> Romanian dial. curm 'short rope', curmei 'vine shoot')

| grunz || lump, clod || Russu (Alb.) || variants (s)grunț, Aromanian grundã (plural grundz) 'lump', grundzã 'bran'; from Albanian krunde 'coarse bran; sawdust' (var. grundë), derivative of kruaj 'to scratch'

| gudura || to fawn, cajole || Russu || from Albanian gudulis 'to tickle; pleasure'; unrelated to Romanian gâdila 'to tickle' (see above).

| iazmă (Banat) || ugly and evil apparition, ghost || Hasdeu || western aiazmă, eastern agheazmă; from Greek agíasma (αγίασμα) 'holy water; sacred spring'.

| întrema || to recover after illness or fatigue || rowspan="2" | Russu || variants întrăma, (Moldavia, Bucovina) întrarma, back-formation from destrăma 'unweave, unravel, break up'.

| leagăn || cradle, swing || variants leangăn, leagănă; Istro-Romanian leagăr; back-formation of legăna "to rock, swing" (cf. Aromanian leagãnu "to swing", Megleno-Romanian legăn), from Byzantine Greek liknon "cradle"; likewise Albanian lëkund "to swing"

| mal || lakeside shore, riverbank; coast || Sala, Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu || from Albanian mal "mountain"

| maldac, măldac || a small load (of wood, hay, etc.) || Hasdeu || from Greek mandákis

| mazăre || pea (Pisum sativum) || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu, Olteanu || Aromanian madzãre; also Romanian măzăriche 'vetch', Aromanian mãdziriclje; from Albanian modhull(ë) 'yellow vetchling', diminutive of modhë 'rye-grass, brome'

| mânz || foal, colt || Russu (Alb.) || Aromanian mãndzu, Megleno-Romanian mǫndz; from Old Albanian manz (modern Tosk mëz, Gheg mâz). Also mânzat 'steer', from OAlb. *manzat (mod. Tosk mëzat, Gheg mâzat 'yearling calf; bullock').

| măgură || hill, knoll || Sala, Russu (Alb.) || dialectal Romanian măgulă, Aromanian mãgulã; from Albanian magulë, a metathesis of gamulë; likewise Serbo-Croatian gòmila ~ mògila 'heap'.

| mire || bridegroom || Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu || from Albanian mirë

|Ancient Maris, from IE *māro, *māno 'wet' and related to Romanian a mura 'to pickle'

| murg || dark-bay horse || Sala, Russu (Alb.) || Aromanian murgu, Megleno-Romanian murg; also amurg 'twilight, dusk'; from Albanian murg "dark".

| mușat || handsome || Russu || Aromanian musheat, Megleno-Romanian/Istro-Romanian mușat; clipped form of *frumușat, from frumos

| noian || multitude, heap; (arch.) abyss, immense sea || Sala, Russu || from Albanian ujanë "ocean", from ujë "water"

| păstaie || pod, capsule, hull || rowspan="2" | Russu (Alb.) || Aromanian pãstãlje; from Vulgar Latin pistālia, from pistāre "to pound"; or from Albanian bishtajë "pod, hull; string bean"

| pârâu (pl. pâraie) || brook, creek || dial. (North) pârău, Megleno-Romanian păroi; from Albanian përrua (def.sg. përroi) 'torrent, rushing stream', from Bulgarian poroj (порой) 'torrent', from *po-rojĭ (cf. Macedonian roj (рој) 'swarm', Polish zdrój 'spring, waters').

| păstra || to keep up || Russu || older păstrez; Aromanian spãstrescu, Megleno-Romanian păstres; from Greek pastrevo (παστρεύω) 'to clean, cleanse', from Byzantine Greek spastréuō; cf. Bulgarian pastrja (< Greek)

|related to Dac. NL Napoca

| pupăză || hoopoe || Sala || Aromanian pupãzã, Megleno-Romanian pupează; from Albanian pupëz(ë), diminutive of pupë, itself possibly from Latin upupa

| pururi || always, forever || Russu (Alb.) || variant purure, pururea; from d(e-a) pure(a)

| rânză || abomasum (rennet stomach) || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu || Aromanian arãndzã 'rennet'; from Albanian rrëndës 'rennet'.

| sâmbure || kernel; pip, core || Russu (Alb.), NODEX, Olteanu || dialectal simbure, sumbure, Aromanian sãmbure, sumbur; from Albanian sumbull "push button; bud"

| scăpăra || to strike fire; sparkle, lighten || rowspan="2" | Russu (Alb.) || Aromanian ascãpirare, Megleno-Romanian scăpirari; from Albanian shkrep "to strike fire", shkrepës "flint"

| scrum || ashes || older scrumb; from Albanian shkrumb; also Bulgarian скрум (< Romanian)

| searbăd || insipid || Russu (Alb.), Olteanu || older sarbăd, Aromanian sarbit; from Albanian tharbët "sour" (standard thartë, dialectal tharptë)

| spânz || purple hellebore || Russu (Alb.) || variants spânț, spunz, Aromanian spingiu; from Albanian shpendër (variants shpindër, spindër, spinër)

| steregie || soot caked in a chimney; scum; dross, waste; wine tartar || Russu || variants stirigie, stirighie, etc.; from variants tereghie, tirghie, etc. "wine tartar", from Greek trugiá, blended with Serbo-Croatian striješ (Chakavian striš) "wine tartar"

| sterp || barren, infertile || rowspan="2" | Russu (Alb.) || eastern stărp, Aromanian sterpu; from Byzantine Greek stérifos (στέριφος; mod. stérfos (στέρφος)); cf. Albanian shterpë, Slovene stirpa, Venetian sterpa (all < Gk).

| strepede || cheese maggot (larva of the cheese fly, cheese skipper; Piophila casei) || Aromanian streapit "cheese mite", Megleno-Romanian strepij; from Albanian shtrep "maggot, larva"

| strungă || sheepfold; narrow passage, canyon || Russu (Alb.), NODEX || from Albanian shtrungë 'milking enclosure', from shtroj 'to spread'

| sugruma || to strangle, to burke || Russu || from sub "under" + grumaz "throat" (see above).

| șir || row, line || Hasdeu, Russu || also șiră "spine"; from Greek sirá (σειρά) 'line, row; cord, rope'

| șopârlă || wall lizard (Lacerta muralis) || Hasdeu, Russu (Alb.), Vraciu || variant șopirlă, Aromanian ciupilar (recent jabilu, șapic, japie); from Albanian zhapi (plural zhapinj) 'lizard' (var. xhapi, xhzpik).

| traistă || bag || Hasdeu || older taistră, tainstră, traistră, Bassarabia/Maramarus straistă, Transylvanian straiță; cf. Albanian trastë, trajstë, strajcë.

| țap || he-goat; buck || Russu (Alb.) || from Albanian cjap (var. cap, cqap, sqap).

| țarc || pen, fold || Russu (Alb.), Olteanu || from Albanian thark (var. cark) 'enclosure (esp. for milking)'.

| țumburuș || small, round knob, nub || Olteanu || older țâmburuș; from Albanian thumbull 'button; pin'; nearly identical to sâmbure (< sumbull) (see above).

| urca || to mount, ascend; increase || Russu, Paliga|| Either from Vulgar Latin *oricāre, also Albanian ftujë (Cham ftulë, Arbëresh vëtulë) 'female kid' (< ByzGk)

| viezure || badger || Sala, Russu (Alb.), Olteanu || older viedzure, Aromanian yedzurã, yedzãre; from Albanian vjedhull, from vjedh "to steal"

| zară || buttermilk || rowspan="2" | Russu || from *dzară, from Albanian dhallë; also Aromanian dhalã (recent loan; < Alb)

| zburda || sport, frolic, frisk about || variant sburda; from Byzantine Greek spyrthizein 'to frolic, lark (of animals)'

| zer || whey || Russu, Olteanu || older zăr, Aromanian dzãr, Moldavian/Banat/ dzăr masculine back-formation from zară (see above).

| zgardă || dog collar || Russu (Alb.) || from Albanian shkardhë

"Ciorănescu": Alexandru Ciorănescu, Diccionario etimológico rumano, Tenerife: Universidad de la Laguna, 1958–1966.
Sorin Paliga, Etymological Lexicon of the Indigenous (Thracian) Elements in Romanian, Bucharest: Editura Evenimentul, 2006.

Other languages

Some Romanian words of non-Latin origin are also found in Slavic languages, which loaned them from Eastern Romance speakers. An example is vatră (home or hearth), which Eastern Romance speakers borrowed from the Tosk Albanian form ('hearth'), and thereafter spread to the Serbo-Croatian, Carpathian highlander dialects of Polish and Ukrainian and other neighboring languages, though acquiring in those languages a slightly modified meaning ('fire' instead of 'hearth'). Another one is Bryndza, a type of cheese made in Eastern Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic (Moravian Wallachia), Slovakia and Ukraine, the word being derived from the Romanian word for cheese (brânză).

List of Romanian words of possible pre-Roman origin

Lexical items

Other languages

See also

Notes

References

Further reading