300–201 BC

Romanian words from Latin words first recorded in the 3rd century BC

503 Romanian words inherited from a Latin word whose earliest known written record dates from the 3rd century BC, earliest Latin record first (page 6).

cărbune
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin carbo

It is inherited from Latin carbo (“charcoal”), from the accusative carbōnem. The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian cãrbuni, Megleno-Romanian cărbuni and Istro-Romanian cârbur. Its…
cătină
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin catena

The origin is uncertain. DELR, the DA, DEX and MDA2 take it as inherited from Latin catēna (“chain”), a word that survives in every Romance language with the sense “chain”. The DA explains the shift…
deprinde
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin deprehendo

It is inherited from Latin dēprehendō (“to seize, catch; to discover”), a compound of dē- and prehendō (“to grasp, seize”). DELR and MDA2 write the etymon with the contracted form, Latin dēprendō…
des
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin densus

It is inherited from Latin dēnsus (“dense; frequent”), from Proto-Indo-European *dens- (“thick, dense”). Latin /ns/ lost its nasal, as Pușcariu's etymon shows. The word survives south of the Danube…
dulce
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin dulcis

It is inherited from Latin dulcem (“sweet”). Wiktionary allows for some reinforcement by Italian dolce. The Latin word is akin to Ancient Greek γλυκύς (glukús, “sweet”), and de Vaan thinks both may…
feri
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin ferio

Its origin is disputed: DEX and MDA2 call it of unknown origin. Ciorănescu derives it inherited from Latin feriō (“to strike”), which he finds in Cicero with the sense “to keep, respect”. Tiktin and…
ferice
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin felix

It is inherited from Latin fēlīx, fēlīcem (“fruitful; fortunate, happy”), continuing the accusative. The REW records it only in Romanian; Ciorănescu calls Italian felice and Spanish feliz…
fior
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin febris

It is inherited from Latin febris (“fever”). The form is not the expected one, and the dictionaries explain it differently: Ciorănescu says the regular outcome would have been a singular ⟨*fiore⟩…
fir
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin filum

It is inherited from Latin fīlum (“thread”). De Vaan derives the Latin word from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰiH-(s-)lo- (“sinew, sinew thread”). The noun survives south of the Danube: Aromanian hir and…
foale
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin follis

It is inherited from Latin follis (“bellows; leather bag”). The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian foaie, Megleno-Romanian foale and Istro-Romanian foie. Its Romance cognates include…
fum
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin fumus

It is inherited from Latin fūmus (“smoke”). The Latin word goes back through Proto-Italic to Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós (“smoke”), with cognates such as Sanskrit धूम (dhūmá) and Old Church…
fund
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin fundus

It is inherited from Latin fundus (“bottom; landed estate”). De Vaan explains the Latin word as a metathesis of Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰ-n-ó- (“bottom”), and compares Ancient Greek πυθμήν…
funingine
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin fuligo

It is inherited from Latin fūlīgō (“soot”), from its accusative fūlīginem. It survives in Aromanian furidzinã, also ⟨fulidzine⟩. Its Romance cognates include Italian fuliggine, Spanish hollín and…
fur
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin fur

It is inherited from Latin fūr (“thief”). Pușcariu (no. 676), Candrea–Densusianu (no. 689) and the REW list it among the inherited words. The Latin noun comes from *bʰṓr (“thief”), a cognate of…
furnică
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin formica

It is inherited from Latin formīca (“ant”). Romanian has /n/ where Latin had /m/: Candrea and Densusianu explained this by the influence of the labial, but Ciorănescu takes the dialect forms with…
furtună
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin fortuna

Its origin is disputed: Ciorănescu takes it as inherited from Latin fortūna (“fortune, luck”), like the Romance words that also mean “storm”: Italian fortuna, French fortune and Spanish fortuna. He…
grâu
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin granum

It is inherited from Latin grānum (“grain, seed”). The Latin word goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm, “that which has ripened; grain”. It survives in all four branches: Aromanian grãn…
gură
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin gula

It is inherited from Latin gula (“throat, gullet”). It survives in all four branches: Aromanian gurã, Megleno-Romanian gură and Istro-Romanian gurę. Its Romance cognates include Italian gola, French…
gusta
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin gusto

It is inherited from Latin gustō (“to taste”). Pușcariu, Candrea–Densusianu, the REW and the DA take it straight from the Latin verb, while Ciorănescu treats it as a derivative of the noun gust…
găină
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin gallina

It is inherited from Latin gallīna (“hen”). The Latin noun was formed on gallus (“rooster”) with the suffix -īna. The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian gãljinã, Megleno-Romanian găľină…
iapă
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin equa

It is inherited from Latin equa (“mare”), the feminine of equus (“horse”), which comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos (“horse”). Pușcariu, Candrea and Densusianu and the REW give the same etymon…
ied
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin haedus

It is inherited from Latin haedus (“young goat, kid”). The Latin word has no Indo-European root and is probably a loan; its only sure cognate is Proto-Germanic *gaits (“goat”). The word survives in…
ieși
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin exeo

It is inherited from Latin exeō (“to go out”), formed from ex- (“out of”) and eō (“to go”). It survives in Aromanian es and Megleno-Romanian ies. Romance cognates include Italian escire, the older…
im
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin limus

It is inherited from Latin līmus (“mud, slime”). The Latin initial /l/ was lost, as in “flax” comes from līnum. The Romance cognates include Italian limo, Occitan lim, Catalan llim, Spanish limo…
intra
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin intro

It is inherited from Latin intrō (“to go into, enter”). Wiktionary takes the modern form as a change of the original întra. The first person singular is Aromanian întru, Megleno-Romanian antru and…
judeca
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin iudico

It is inherited from Latin iūdicō (“to judge”). The Latin verb is made from iūdex (“judge”), a compound of iūs (“law”) with the root of dīcō (“to say”). It survives in all four branches: Aromanian…
județ
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin iudicium

It is inherited from Latin iūdicium (“legal proceedings, trial; judgment”), which Latin formed on iūdex (“judge”). The DLR notes that the Latin word meant “judge” and “place of judgment” as well as…
june
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin iuvenis

The noun “young man” is inherited from Latin iuvenis (“young man; young”). Its use as an adjective “young” is newer: Ciorănescu calls it a neologism taken from French jeune, Tiktin says the sense…
lac
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin lacus

1. The word for “lake” is inherited from Latin lacus (“lake, pond”). It survives in all four branches: Aromanian lac, Megleno-Romanian lac and Istro-Romanian lǫc. Its Romance cognates include…
lamură
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin lamina

It is probably inherited from Latin lāmina (“thin sheet of metal; bar of precious metal”), so that the old phrases for pure gold and silver first meant “bar gold”, “bar silver”. Ciorănescu accepts…
larg
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin largus

It is inherited from Latin largus (“abundant, generous; spacious”). The Latin word meant above all “abundant, generous”; according to the DHLF it took over the physical sense of latus (“broad”) in…
lat
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin latus

It is inherited from Latin lātus (“wide, broad”). It survives in Aromanian lat. Its Romance cognates include Italian lato, French lé and Occitan lat. The Latin adjective had an older form stlātus…
laur
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin laurus

It is inherited from Latin laurus (“laurel, bay”). In the inherited word the name passed to a quite different plant, the thorn apple (“Datura stramonium”), the sense the REW gives for Romanian…
linge
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin lingo

It is inherited from Latin lingō (“to lick”). It survives in all four branches: Aromanian alingu, Megleno-Romanian ling and Istro-Romanian ling. In the rest of Romance the verb is found in dialects…
lua
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin levo

It is inherited from Latin levō (“to lift, raise”). Tiktin notes that the Latin verb “to raise” came to mean “to take” in the south and southwest of the Romance area. Candrea and Densusianu explain…
macru
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin macer

It is inherited from Latin macer (“thin, lean”), from its accusative macrum. Ciorănescu cites Pușcariu (no. 1012), Candrea–Densusianu (no. 1037) and the REW for this etymology. The word survives…
mamă
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin mamma

It is probably inherited from Latin mamma (“breast; mother”). Ciorănescu calls it an expressive nursery word, built on the idea of food and the person who gives it, which is why it can mean both…
mare
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin mas

1. The word for “big” is probably inherited from Latin mās (“male”), through its accusative ⟨marem⟩. Diez already proposed it, and it is the view of Pușcariu, Candrea and Densusianu, Tiktin, MDA2…
mascur
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin masculus

It is inherited from Latin masculus (“male”); Tiktin starts from porcus masculus (“male pig”). Ciorănescu cites Pușcariu (no. 1044), Candrea–Densusianu (no. 1049) and the REW. The Latin word is a…
mește
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin misceo

It is inherited from Latin misceō (“to mix”). The Romanian verb, like Italian mescere, has the stress on the root, so Candrea and Densusianu, DELI and Nocentini start from an infinitive of the third…
mieru
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin merus

It is inherited from Latin merus (“pure, unmixed”). Pușcariu discussed the etymology in the journal Dacoromania, and the REW lists the Transylvanian word meaning “blue” under the Latin word, beside…
minți
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin mentior

It is inherited from Latin mentior (“to lie”), in the active form *mentiō. DER and REW start from this active form, and the verb is shared with the Western Romance languages: Italian mentire, French…
mira
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin miror

It is inherited from Latin mīror (“to wonder, be amazed”), in the popular active form mirāre that replaced the deponent. The Latin verb is formed on mīrus (“astonishing, remarkable”). It survives in…
mire
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin miles

Its origin is disputed. The view most often given is that it is inherited from Latin mīles (“soldier”), held by P. Papahagi, Tiktin, Meyer-Lübke and Rosetti and given by MDA2 and Wiktionary. Tiktin…
moară
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin mola

It is inherited from Latin mola (“millstone; mill”). The Latin word comes from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind, crush”). It survives south of the Danube: Aromanian moarã and Megleno-Romanian…
mustra
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin monstro

It is inherited from Latin mōnstrō (“to show, point out”), as Pușcariu, Candrea–Densusianu and the REW give it. The Latin verb is formed on mōnstrum (“sign, portent”). The Romance cognates keep the…
muta
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin muto

It is inherited from Latin mūtō (“to change, to move”), continued across the Romance languages. It survives south of the Danube: Aromanian mut and Megleno-Romanian mut. The Romance cognates include…
mâine
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin mane

It is inherited from Latin māne (“in the morning, early”). The Latin word was an adverb meaning “early in the day”, and Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- (“to ripen, mature”)…
mânc
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin mancus

It is inherited from Latin mancus (“maimed, crippled”). Ciorănescu cites Densusianu, Candrea and Scriban for this; he doubts Pușcariu's link of the Moldavian adjective manc (“imperfect, faulty”)…
mărunt
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin minutus

It is inherited from Latin minūtus (“small”), the past participle of minuō (“to make smaller”). The regular result was mănunt, with the /n/ carried into the first syllable, and the first /n/ then…
negru
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin niger

It is inherited from Latin niger (“black, dark”), from its accusative nigrum. De Vaan considers the origin of the Latin word unknown. The word survives in all four branches of Romanian: Aromanian…
negură
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin nebula

It is inherited from Latin nebula (“mist, fog”). The Latin noun goes back to *nebʰ-e-lo- (“small cloud”), with cognates such as Ancient Greek νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”). The /g/ for Latin /b/ needs…
neted
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin nitidus

It is inherited from Latin nitidus (“shining, bright, polished”). Its Romance cognates include Italian netto, Sardinian nidu, French net, Catalan net and Portuguese nedeo. The Latin adjective is…
neștine
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin nescio

It is inherited from Latin nesciō (“I do not know”) in a Latin phrase meaning “I don't know who”. DEX, MDA2 and DLR analyse it as the verb with quī (“who”) and -ne. Tiktin and Scriban start from…
nou
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin novus

It is inherited from Latin novus (“new”), which comes from Proto-Indo-European *néwos (“new”). De Vaan lists cognates across Indo-European, among them Ancient Greek νέος (néos), Sanskrit नव (náva)…
oară
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin hora

1. The word for "time, occasion" is inherited from Latin hōra (“hour, time”). Latin took it from Ancient Greek ὥρα (hṓra, “season, time”). It has the cognates Aromanian oarã and Megleno-Romanian…
orb
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin orbus

It is inherited from Latin orbus (“bereaved, deprived”). In classical Latin the word meant “bereaved of parents or children, deprived of”; the sense “blind” appears in later Latin, from phrases like…
ospăț
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin hospitium

It is inherited from Latin hospitium (“hospitality, lodging”). It survives in Aromanian uspeț, which also means “visit”. The Latin word is formed on hospes (“host, guest”). The REW lists it beside…
pace
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin pax

It is inherited from Latin pācem (“peace”), the accusative of the Latin noun. Wiktionary takes the Latin word from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ǵ-; de Vaan reconstructs *peh₂ḱ- (“agreement”), the root…
palmă
205 BC–184 BC

from Latin palma

It is inherited from Latin palma (“palm of the hand”). Wiktionary traces the Latin word to Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂. It survives in all four branches: Aromanian palmã, Megleno-Romanian palmă…

All Romanian words inherited from Latin, by century →