Introduction
English:
Slavic languages, including Proto-Slavic, left a deep imprint on Romanian and Moldovan. This influence came in several waves: first, early contact between Proto-Slavs and the ancestors of Romanians in the 5th–6th centuries AD; then South Slavic and Old Church Slavonic (9th–10th c.) during the medieval period; and finally Russian loans in Moldova during the 20th century. The Slavic heritage is visible not only in common words but also in place names across the Carpathian–Danube lands. In the 18th and 19th centuries, intellectuals of the Transylvanian School attempted a “re-Latinization” of Romanian, replacing some Slavic terms with Latin and French neologisms, but the deepest Slavic layer remained untouched.
Slavic (Latin):
Slovjanske jezyky, vključno s Proto-Slovjanskim, ostavili glęboki znak v romun’skom i moldavskom jezyku. To vplyvanje prišlo v nekoliko hvòljah: ranno kontakt meždu Proto-Slavi i předki Rumunov v ranno sredněvěku; potèm južno-slavjanski i staro-cerkovno-slavjanski vplyv v sredněvèkovom časě; i v XX věku ruski sloj v Moldaviji. Slovjanska dědičstvo je vidlivo ne tolko v obično slovah, no i v toponymiji Karpat’sko-Dunajskogo kraja. V XVIII i XIX věku učenici Transilvanskej školy naměrili “re-latinizaciju” romun’skogo jezyka, zaměnjajųči čest slov s latinskymi i francuzskymi neologizmami, no najglębši sloj slovjanski ostal nedotknuty.
Slavic (Cyrillic):
Словианскыє єзыкы, включно съ Прото-Словианскимъ, оставили глѫбокыи знакъ въ румуньскомъ и молдавьскомъ єзыку. То вліянїє пришло въ нѣсколько хволѧхъ: ранныи контактъ межю Прото-Славы и предкы Румуновъ въ ранно-среднѣвѣку; потомъ южно-славианскыи и староцерковно-славианскыи вліянїє въ среднѣвѣковомъ часѣ; и въ XX вѣцѣ русскыи слой въ Молдавіи. Словианско дѣдићство є видливо не тольно въ обыкновенныхъ словахъ, но и въ топонимиї Карпатско-Дунайскога края. Въ XVIII и XIX вѣцѣ ученици Трансильванскои школы намѣрили “ре-латинизацїю” румуньскога єзыка, замѣняющи часть словъ съ латиньскыми и францужьскыми неологизмами, но наиглѫбшии слой словианскыи осталъ недотркнуты.
Words of Proto-Slavic origin
English:
Many everyday Romanian and Moldovan words go back directly to Proto-Slavic.
| Romanian 🇷🇴 |
English | Proto-Slavic Root |
|---|---|---|
| a iubi | to love | *ljubiti |
| dragă | dear | *dorgŭ |
| nevastă | wife | *nevěsta |
| prieten | friend | *prijateljĭ |
| slab | weak | *slabŭ |
| a trăi | to live | *trajati |
| nevoie | need | *nevolja |
| boală | sickness | *bolь |
| bolnav | sick | *bolьnavъ |
| sută | one hundred | *sъto |
| hrană | food | *xrana |
| a plăti | to pay | *platiti |
| gard | fence | *gordъ |
| a sfârși | to finish | *sъvъršiti |
| duh | spirit | *duxъ |
| rai | paradise | *rajь |
Agricultural and Environmental Terms
| Romanian 🇷🇴 |
English | Proto-Slavic Root |
|---|---|---|
| baltă | pond, swamp | *bolto |
| brazdă | furrow | *bōrzdà |
| ogor | field | *ogorъ |
| măgură | hillock | *magula |
| stână | sheepfold | *stanъ |
| smântână | sour cream | *smьntana |
| cocostârc | stork | *kokostьrkъ |
| mac | poppy | *makъ |
| zăpadă | snow | *zapada |
Place Names with Slavic Roots
English:
Ancient place names usually last the longest. Rivers, towns, and counties preserve Slavic etymologies that tell of early settlement and cultural blending.
| Place | Region | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bistrița | Romania | bystrica, bystrъ = fast, clear river |
| Cernavodă | Romania | čьrnъ + vodâ = black water |
| Craiova | Romania | kraljev = royal |
| Dâmbovița | Romania | dǫbŭ = oak |
| Dolj | Romania | dol + Jiu = lower Jiu valley |
| Gorj | Romania | gora + Jiu = mountain Jiu |
| Ialomița | Romania | jalov = barren |
| Prahova | Romania | prahŭ = dust, ash |
| Reșița | Romania | rečica = little river |
| Slatina | Romania | slatina = salty spring |
| Slobozia | Romania | slobozia = free village |
| Snagov | Romania | snegŭ = snow |
| Moldova | Moldova | see below |
| Dubăsari | Moldova | *dǫbъ* (oak) + *-sarъ* (maker) |
| Ialoveni | Moldova | jalov = barren |
| Rîbnița | Moldova | ribnica = fish pond |
| Soroca | Moldova | sroka = magpie |
| Slobozia | Moldova | slobozia, sloboda = free settlement |
Clarification: Etymology of Moldova
English:
The name Moldova comes from the Moldova River. The river’s own etymology is disputed. Some scholars propose a hydronym meaning “dark/soiled” as a typical river descriptor, while others suggest a Slavic-shaped formation with the common toponymic suffix -ova. The base mold- remains uncertain and is falsely attested as “spruce/fir” in Slavic. A careful wording is: the name is from the river; the river’s etymology is debated; several proposals exist, none universally accepted.
Slavic (Latin):
Ime Moldova pridojde od rěky Moldova. Sama etimologija rěky je sporna. Někto predklada hydronim s smyslom “temna/zbrydžena voda”, drugi vidęt slovjansku formaciju s običnoju toponymičnoju sufiksu -ova. Osnova mold- ostava nejistna i ne jest dobro svidočena kako “smrěka/jel’” v slovjanskih jezykah. Zato bezpečna formulacija glasi: ime od rěky; etimologija rěky je predmet sporov; su razne teorije bez všeobčego prijetja.
Slavic (Cyrillic):
Име Молдова происходи от рѣкы Молдова. Сама етимологїя рѣкы єсть спорна. Нѣктори предкладаютъ гидронимъ со смыслом “тёмна/загрязнена вода”, други видѧтъ славианску формацїю съ обычнымъ топонимичьнымъ суффиксомъ -ова. Основа молд- остава неясна и не єсть добро свидочена яко “смрѣка/єль” въ славианскихъ єзыкахъ. Безопасно формуловати так: име от рѣкы; етимологїя рѣкы спорна; сушчєствуютъ разны теорїи без общаго принятїя.
Placename Slavic parallels to Moldova:
- Bucovina ← Slavic buk “beech” + -ovina “land, area” → “beech land”.
- Dubrava / Dobrava / Dąbrowa ← Proto-Slavic dǫb “oak” → “oak grove”, widely attested across Slavic regions.
Conclusion
English:
The early Slavs, starting after the 5th century A.D., and later South Slavic and Old Church Slavonic influences, gave Romania and Moldova one of the richest layers of Slavic vocabulary outside the Slavic world itself. The movement (18th–19th c.) aimed to "purify" Romanian from perceived Slavic and Hungarian influences by replacing loanwords with neologisms (e.g., pământ "land" instead of Slavic-derived zemă). The 19th-century re-Latinization could not erase the deep Proto-Slavic words or the place names still spoken by the land. Even today, Romanians say a iubi, prieten, nevoie, walk along rivers called Bistrița and Prahova, and live with a cultural heritage where Latin and Slavic intertwine.
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