Tweet
[edit] Slavic languages
The Slavic influence was primarily due to the migration of Slavic tribes who traversed the territory of present-day Romania during the early evolution of the language.......................
Of great importance was the influence of Old Church Slavonic, as it was the liturgical language of the Romanian Orthodox Church (compared to western and central European countries which used Latin) from the Middle Ages, until the 18th century. However, Latin held an important position in Transylvania during the Middle Ages, a part of the western-styled feudal Kingdom of Hungary at that moment. Liturgical Romanian was first officially used there after the union of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania with Rome,[34] giving birth to the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in 1698 [35] (the most numerous church in Transylvania until the World War II [36]). This caused Romanian to lose many of its borrowings form Slavonic as the first standardisation of it (among others the switch to the Latin alphabet) was done by Şcoala Ardeleană, founded in Transylvania.[34]
Borrowings from Old Church Slavonic include: a izbăvi < izbaviti "to deliver", veşnicie < vĕčinŭ "forever, perpetual, undying", sfânt < svĕntŭ "holy, saint", a sluji < služiti "to serve", amvon < amŭvonŭ "pulpit", rai < raj "paradise", iad < jadŭ "hell", proroc < prorokŭ "prophet"...........................
As was characteristic of the Middle Ages, the Church had a great influence on people's lives. Thus even basic words such as a iubi "to love", glas "voice", nevoie "need", and prieten "friend" are of Church Slavonic origin. Names were also influenced by the use of Slavonic in Church and in administration. However, many Slavic words are archaisms, and it is estimated that in modern Romanian 90% of the vocabulary is of Latin origin, the remainder representing Slavic, Greek, Hungarian, and Turkic borrowings as well as the Dacian substratum. Slavonic influences are also encountered in some phonetic particularities as well as in many suffixes[citation needed]..............
[edit] French, Italian and other international words
Since the 19th century, many modern words were borrowed from the other Romance languages, especially from French and Italian (for example: birou "desk, office", avion "airplane", exploata "exploit"). It was estimated that about 38% of the number of words in Romanian are of French and/or Italian origin (in many cases both languages); and adding this to the words that were inherited from Latin, about 75%-85% of Romanian words can be traced to Latin. The use of these Romanianized French and Italian loanwords has tended to increase at the expense of Slavic loanwords, many of which have become rare or fallen out of use.....................
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Contemporary Romanian - highlighted words are French or Italian loanwords:
Toate fiinţele umane se nasc libere şi egale în demnitate şi în drepturi. Ele sunt înzestrate cu raţiune şi conştiinţă şi trebuie să se comporte unele faţă de altele în spiritul fraternităţii.
Romanian, excluding French and Italian loanwords - highlighted words are Slavic loanwords:
Toate fiinţele omeneşti se nasc slobode şi deopotrivă în destoinicie şi în drepturi. Ele sunt înzestrate cu înţelegere şi cuget şi trebuie să se poarte unele faţă de altele în duh de frăţietate.
Romanian, excluding loanwords:
Toate fiinţele omeneşti se nasc nesupuse şi asemenea în preţuire şi în drepturi. Ele sunt înzestrate cu înţelegere şi cuget şi se cuvine să se poarte unele faţă de altele după firea frăţiei......................
The Slavic influence was primarily due to the migration of Slavic tribes who traversed the territory of present-day Romania during the early evolution of the language.......................
Of great importance was the influence of Old Church Slavonic, as it was the liturgical language of the Romanian Orthodox Church (compared to western and central European countries which used Latin) from the Middle Ages, until the 18th century. However, Latin held an important position in Transylvania during the Middle Ages, a part of the western-styled feudal Kingdom of Hungary at that moment. Liturgical Romanian was first officially used there after the union of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania with Rome,[34] giving birth to the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in 1698 [35] (the most numerous church in Transylvania until the World War II [36]). This caused Romanian to lose many of its borrowings form Slavonic as the first standardisation of it (among others the switch to the Latin alphabet) was done by Şcoala Ardeleană, founded in Transylvania.[34]
Borrowings from Old Church Slavonic include: a izbăvi < izbaviti "to deliver", veşnicie < vĕčinŭ "forever, perpetual, undying", sfânt < svĕntŭ "holy, saint", a sluji < služiti "to serve", amvon < amŭvonŭ "pulpit", rai < raj "paradise", iad < jadŭ "hell", proroc < prorokŭ "prophet"...........................
As was characteristic of the Middle Ages, the Church had a great influence on people's lives. Thus even basic words such as a iubi "to love", glas "voice", nevoie "need", and prieten "friend" are of Church Slavonic origin. Names were also influenced by the use of Slavonic in Church and in administration. However, many Slavic words are archaisms, and it is estimated that in modern Romanian 90% of the vocabulary is of Latin origin, the remainder representing Slavic, Greek, Hungarian, and Turkic borrowings as well as the Dacian substratum. Slavonic influences are also encountered in some phonetic particularities as well as in many suffixes[citation needed]..............
[edit] French, Italian and other international words
Since the 19th century, many modern words were borrowed from the other Romance languages, especially from French and Italian (for example: birou "desk, office", avion "airplane", exploata "exploit"). It was estimated that about 38% of the number of words in Romanian are of French and/or Italian origin (in many cases both languages); and adding this to the words that were inherited from Latin, about 75%-85% of Romanian words can be traced to Latin. The use of these Romanianized French and Italian loanwords has tended to increase at the expense of Slavic loanwords, many of which have become rare or fallen out of use.....................
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Contemporary Romanian - highlighted words are French or Italian loanwords:
Toate fiinţele umane se nasc libere şi egale în demnitate şi în drepturi. Ele sunt înzestrate cu raţiune şi conştiinţă şi trebuie să se comporte unele faţă de altele în spiritul fraternităţii.
Romanian, excluding French and Italian loanwords - highlighted words are Slavic loanwords:
Toate fiinţele omeneşti se nasc slobode şi deopotrivă în destoinicie şi în drepturi. Ele sunt înzestrate cu înţelegere şi cuget şi trebuie să se poarte unele faţă de altele în duh de frăţietate.
Romanian, excluding loanwords:
Toate fiinţele omeneşti se nasc nesupuse şi asemenea în preţuire şi în drepturi. Ele sunt înzestrate cu înţelegere şi cuget şi se cuvine să se poarte unele faţă de altele după firea frăţiei......................
As can be seen, particular attention is given to the Slavonic elements in the Romanian language, which have gradually been replaced with Italian or French substitutes since the 19th century. In accordance with the estimations cited above, approx. 80% of Romanian vocabulary is Latin, about half of which is from recent Italian and French additions, while the other is from the Vulgar Latin brought by the Romans in Dacia. However, the Italian and French element exists at the expense of Slavonic, meaning that prior to their inclusion the Romanian language was only 40% Latin and the other 60% being largely Slavonic. Indeed, the influence of Slavonic elements in the Romanian language go far beyond liturgical words, and although many are archaic, generally they are found to be consistently present in words used for everyday speech.
Below are a list interesting words of Slavonic origin in the Romanian language, by Mihai Miroiu, Hippocrene Standard Dictionary, Hippocrene Books, New York, 1996.
**Note: The letter 'J' is pronounced as 'ZH', the letter 'C' is pronounced as either 'K' or 'CH'.
Food; Hrana (Hrana = Food in Slavonic)
Olive; Maslina (Maslina/Maslinka = Olive in South Slavic)
Carrot; Morcov (Morkov = Carrot in Slavonic)
Sand; Nisip, Plaja (Plazha = Beaches in Slavonic)
Fry; Prija (Przhi = Fry in South Slavic)
Serve; Sluji (Sluzhi = Serve in Slavonic)
Woman; Femeie, Slujnica (Sluzhnika = Servant in Slavonic)
Queen; Regina, Matka (Mat = Mother in Slavonic)
Friend; Prieten (Priyatel = Friend in Slavonic)
Rebel; Rebel, Razvratit (Vrati = Return in Slavonic)
Donkey; Magar (Magare/Magarac = Donkey in South Slavic)
Shovel; Lopata ( Lopata = Shovel in Slavonic)
Air; Vazduh (Vozduh = Air in Slavonic)
Merry; Vesel (Vesel = Merry in Slavonic)
Sad; Trist, Jalnic (Zhalni = Pity in Slavonic)
Easily; Lesne (Lesno = Easy in South-east Slavic)
Hope; Nadejde (Nadezh = Hope in Slavonic)
Extraordinary; Nazdravan (Zdravo = Health in Slavonic)
There are plenty more, even words that aren't necessarily Slavonic by way of the root word but nevertheless take on a Slavonic form and/or prefix. As can also be seen from the above, some of the Slavonic words in Romanian are in a unique form specific to that language such as 'Prieten' for friend, 'Matka' for queen, 'Slujnica' for woman, etc.
Comment