Romanian words from Latin
2429 Romanian words with Latin in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 26).
nuia
It is inherited from Latin novella, the neuter plural of novellus (“young, new”), taken as a feminine singular. Candrea and Densusianu point to the classical plural novellae “young trees, vine…
număr
It is inherited from Latin numerus (“number”). The verb număra “to count” may be a Romanian derivative of the noun or continue Latin numerō (“to count”) directly. The noun survives south of the…
număra
It is inherited from Latin numerō (“to count”), a verb made on numerus (“number”). It survives south of the Danube: Aromanian numir and Megleno-Romanian numir. Its Romance cognates include Dalmatian…
nume
It is inherited from Latin nōmen (“name”), a word kept in nearly every Romance language. The Latin word comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ (“name”). The word survives in all four branches…
numeros
It is a learned borrowing, borrowed from Latin numerōsus (“numerous, manifold”). The DEX, Marcu and Wiktionary also give borrowed from Italian numeroso as a source. MDA2, the DLR, Tiktin and Scriban…
nuntă
It is inherited from Latin nuptiae (“wedding”), a plural noun formed on nupta (“bride”), the participle of nūbō (“to marry”). The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian numtã (also lumtã)…
nutreț
It is inherited from Latin nūtrīcium (“nourishment”), as DER, MDA2, DEX and Tiktin give it. Pușcariu and Candrea and Densusianu reconstruct a popular form with a short ⟨i⟩ in place of the classical…
nutrica
It is inherited from Latin nūtrīcō (“to suckle, nurse”), as MDA2, DLR and Wiktionary give it. The Latin verb is formed on nūtrīx (“wet nurse”) and is used by Plautus and Varro. The REW lists its…
oaie
It is inherited from Latin ovis (“sheep”), from its accusative ⟨ovem⟩. The Latin word continues *h₂ówis (“sheep”), or *h₃éwis, and is cognate with Ancient Greek ὄϊς (óïs) and English ewe. It…
oală
It is inherited from Latin olla (“pot”). Pușcariu (no. 1212), Candrea–Densusianu (no. 1267) and the REW list it among the inherited words. The Latin word had an older form aula, the usual one in…
oară
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…
oare
It is most often explained as inherited from Vulgar Latin *volet (“he wants”), a popular form used instead of the classical vult, from volō (“to want, wish”). Tiktin and Scriban explain the sounds…
oaspete
It is inherited from Latin hospes (“guest; host”). The old form oaspe continues the nominative. Wiktionary derives the longer form from the accusative hospitem, while Candrea and Densusianu explain…
oaste
It is inherited from Latin hostis (“stranger, enemy”), in its accusative hostem. Pușcariu, Candrea and Densusianu and the REW give the same source. The Latin word first meant a stranger, then a…
obiect
It is borrowed from Latin obiectum (“something presented, an object”), also borrowed from German Objekt. Ciorănescu gives Latin alone and dates the loan to the 19th century, Tiktin gives New Latin…
obiectiv
It is borrowed from French objectif, a 19th-century learned word. MDA2, DLR and Wiktionary also name borrowed from Medieval Latin objectīvus as a source. DEX names only French, Scriban only Latin…
obliga
It is borrowed from Latin obligō (“to bind; to put under obligation”), with French obliger as a second model, as DEX, MDA2 and DLR give it. Ciorănescu derives it from Latin and dates the borrowing…
obligatoriu
MDA2, the DLR, DEX and the neologism dictionaries give two sources: it is borrowed from Latin obligātōrius (“binding”) it is borrowed from French obligatoire as well. Tiktin names only the Latin…
observa
It is borrowed from French observer, and DLR, MDA2, DEX, DN and MDN add a direct borrowed from Latin observō; DER and Wiktionary give French with its Latin source. Tiktin calls it New Latin first…
observator
1. The word for the observatory is borrowed from New Latin observatorium; the dictionaries name French observatoire and German Observatorium as possible sources together with the Latin word. Tiktin…
obține
It is borrowed from French obtenir, also borrowed from Latin obtineō, with the conjugation of the native verb ține. MDA2 and Tiktin name the French and the Latin verb, MDN and the DLR put the French…
ocean
The dictionaries give several sources, what Romanian lexicography calls multiple etymology. In DEX it is borrowed from Latin ōceanus, German Ozean and French océan. MDA2 and the DLR add Modern Greek…
ochi
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin oclus, from Latin oculus (“eye”). De Vaan traces the Latin word to a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ- (“eye; to see”). It survives in all four branches…
ocupa
It is borrowed from Latin occupō (“to seize, take possession of”), a 19th-century neologism with French occuper as a second model, as the Romanian dictionaries say. Tiktin and the dictionaries of…
oficial
It is borrowed from Latin officiālis, with borrowed from French officiel as a second source, as DEX gives it; DN and MDN give the same. MDA2 and the DLR add borrowed from Modern Greek ὀφφικιάλης…
oficiu
It came by several routes. MDA2 and the DLR name borrowed from Modern Greek ὀφφίκιον (offíkion), borrowed from Latin officium, German Offizium and French office; DEX names the last three. Ciorănescu…
oier
It is formed from Romanian oaie + -ar, as DEX, DLR and MDA2 give it. Tiktin compares boar and văcar, and allows a direct source in Latin oviārius (“of sheep”). Pascu derives it, with Aromanian uiar…
oină
1. The word for the ball game is of uncertain origin: DEX and MDA2 call it unknown, and DLR only compares the Turkish word. Ciorănescu, after Bogrea, sees it as borrowed from Kipchak oyn (“game”)…
olar
It is either inherited from Late Latin ollārius (“potter”) or formed from Romanian oală + -ar. Tiktin and Scriban allow both; the CADE and Șăineanu give the Latin word. Ciorănescu lists it among the…
om
It is inherited from Latin homō (“human being, man”); the plural continues hominēs. Pușcariu compares the plural with Italian uomini. De Vaan derives the Latin word from Proto-Indo-European…
onoare
It is borrowed from Latin honor (“honour”), French honneur and Italian onore. Marcu and Maneca give the Latin word and compare the French and Italian ones. Gabinschi notes that it comes from the…
onora
It is a learned borrowing of the 19th century with several models, which DEX, DILF and the DLR name together: it is borrowed from Latin honōrō (“to honour”), borrowed from French honorer, borrowed…
op
1. The word for “need” is inherited from Latin opus (“work; need”), used above all in opus est (“it is needed”). Pușcariu and Candrea and Densusianu give the same etymon. Cihac gave the same etymon…
opera
It is borrowed from French opérer and also borrowed from Latin operor (“to work”), which DEX and MDA2 cite in its late active form. DEX and the DN also name Italian operare. The French verb was…
operă
1. The word for a work is borrowed from Latin opera (“work, effort”) and Italian opera, as DEX, MDA2 and the DLR give it. Tiktin gives Latin alone and Ciorănescu Italian alone. The Latin word is a…
operație
It is borrowed from Latin operātiō (“work, operation”), French opération and German Operation: DEX, MDA2 and DLR give all three as sources. Tiktin takes it from Latin, partly through other…
opinie
It is borrowed from Latin opīniō (“opinion, belief”), borrowed from French opinion, as DEX, MDA2 and the DLR state. Tiktin and Wiktionary give the Latin alone, while MDN puts French first. The Latin…
opt
It is inherited from Latin octō (“eight”). The numeral survives in all four branches: Aromanian optu, Megleno-Romanian uopt and Istro-Romanian opt. Its Romance cognates include Dalmatian uapto…
opțiune
It is borrowed from French option, a learned word; MDA2, DLR, DEX and Marcu name Latin as a second source, so that it is equally borrowed from Latin optiō (“choice”). Wiktionary gives French alone…
opune
It is borrowed from Latin oppōnō (“to place against, oppose”), a learned loan adapted to the conjugation of the native verb meaning “to put”. MDA2, MDN and NODEX also give a French model: borrowed…
oră
It is a learned borrowing borrowed from Latin hōra (“hour”), with Italian ora as a model: DEX and MDN give the Latin and the Italian, and DLR and MDA2 add French heure. The Latin word is from…
orb
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…
ordin
It is borrowed from Latin ordo (“row, rank, order”), whose oblique stem is ⟨ordin-⟩, together with Italian ordine. MDA2 and the DLR name Latin, Italian and French ordre; DEX 2009 names Latin and…
ordine
It is borrowed from Latin ordo (“row, rank, order”), taken in its accusative form ⟨ordinem⟩, together with Italian ordine. The DLR, MDA2 and Tiktin give Latin alone, DEX 2009 and the neologism…
orfan
It is borrowed from Modern Greek ορφανός (orfanós), with borrowed from Latin orphanus named as a second source by MDA2, DEX and the DLR. Ciorănescu, after Cihac and Gáldi, takes it from Modern…
organ
It is borrowed from Byzantine Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “instrument”), partly by way of Slavonic: borrowed from Old Church Slavonic оръганъ (orŭganŭ), the Slavonic word of the psalters. That older…
organism
It is a learned word with several models: DEX, MDA2, the DLR and MDN give borrowed from New Latin organismus, Modern Greek οργανισμός (organismós), German Organismus and French organisme, and Tiktin…
ori
Its origin is disputed. DEX calls it of unknown origin, and so does MDA2. Ciorănescu and Wiktionary treat it as a variant of oare. According to Ciorănescu, following Tiktin and Scriban, that word is…
oribil
It is borrowed from French horrible and also borrowed from Latin horribilis (“dreadful, terrifying”), a neologism with two sources, as the dictionaries give it. Marcu and Maneca compare Italian…
original
It is borrowed from Latin orīginālis (“original, primitive”), borrowed from French original, with Russian оригинал (original) as a third model in MDA2 and the DLR. Tiktin derives it from Latin, also…
origine
It is borrowed from Latin orīgō (“beginning, source, descent”); DEX, MDA2 and MDN give a double source, adding French origine. Tiktin names the New Latin word alone, and Wiktionary French alone. The…
oriunde
It is formed from Romanian ori + unde, as DEX, MDA2 and the DLR give it. Wiktionary treats the first part as the prefix ori- “-ever, any-”, which also forms oricine and orice. Ori is a variant of…
orz
It is inherited from Latin hordeum (“barley”). It survives in all four branches: Aromanian ordzu, Megleno-Romanian uorz and Istro-Romanian orz. Its Romance cognates include Dalmatian vuarz, Italian…
os
It is inherited from Latin ossum (“bone”), the popular form of Classical Latin os (“bone”). The Latin word goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃ésth₁ (“bone”). The word survives in all four branches…
osânză
It is inherited from Latin axungia (“axle grease; hog's fat”), a Latin compound of axis (“axle”) and unguō (“to smear”). DLR and MDA2 give the Latin variants absungia and ausungia, DEX only the…
ospăț
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…
ospăta
It is inherited from Late Latin hospitō (“to entertain as a guest”), a verb formed on Latin hospes (“guest; host”). Classical Latin had the deponent hospitor. Ciorănescu treats the verb as a…
ostil
It is borrowed from French hostile. The DN and the MDN name Latin hostīlis as well, and Wiktionary gives both sources; Scriban takes it from the Latin word alone. The French word is a learned loan…
ou
It is inherited from Latin ōvum (“egg”), perhaps through a Vulgar Latin form with a short vowel. The Latin word comes from *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”), and is related to Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión). It survives…
oua
It is probably inherited from Vulgar Latin *ōvō (“to lay eggs”), a verb formed in Latin on ōvum (“egg”). Ciorănescu, following Pușcariu and Graur, takes it probably directly from the Latin verb, not…