Romanian words from Latin
2429 Romanian words with Latin in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 41).
voluntar
It is borrowed from Latin voluntārius (“voluntary”) and French volontaire, with Italian volontario as a further model: the DLR and MDA2 name all three, DN and MDN put Latin first, DEX puts French…
voma
Its origin is disputed. According to Tiktin and the DLR, it is inherited from Latin vomō (“to vomit”), and DEXI and NODEX agree. The older forms of the third conjugation, an infinitive voame and its…
vomita
It is a learned loan, borrowed from Latin vomitō (“to vomit”), also named with borrowed from Italian vomitare by DEX 2009 and the neologism dictionaries. The Latin verb is the iterative of vomō (“to…
vostru
It is inherited from Latin voster (“your (plural)”), the popular form that replaced Classical vester. The Oxford Latin Dictionary calls it an archaic form of the Classical word. Wiktionary traces…
vrea
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *volēre (“to want”), the popular infinitive that replaced classical velle. The Latin verb goes back to *welh₁-. The verb survives as Aromanian voi and…
vreun
It is probably inherited from Vulgar Latin *vēre-ūnus (“truly one”), a group of Latin vērē (“truly”) and ūnus (“one”). Ciorănescu, after Salvioni, Tiktin and the REW, takes the first part, the…
vulpe
It is inherited from Latin vulpēs (“fox”). The Latin word, earlier volpēs, goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂wl(o)p- (“(red) fox”). Ciorănescu gives the same form south of the Danube and in…
vultur
It is inherited from Latin vultur (“vulture”). The word survives south of the Danube: Aromanian vultur and Megleno-Romanian văltur. Its Romance cognates include Old French voutre, Spanish buitre and…
zăcea
It is inherited from Latin iaceō (“to lie”). Ciorănescu cites Pușcariu and the REW for this etymology. Latin /j/ would give ⟨j⟩ in Romanian; the ⟨z⟩ is put down to dissimilation from the following…
zadă
It is inherited from Latin daeda (“pitch pine; torch”), a form of taeda recorded in the Latin glosses. The Latin word is a borrowing from the accusative of Ancient Greek δᾴς (dáis, “torch”), and…
zână
It is probably inherited from Latin Diāna (“Diana, the goddess”), the name of the Roman goddess. The name of the goddess survives with the same sense of “fairy” elsewhere in Romance: Old French…
zănatic
Two explanations compete. According to MDA2 and Tiktin it is inherited from Late Latin dianāticus (“frenzied worshipper of Diana”), a word derived from the name of the goddess Diāna, and the DLRM…
zău
It is inherited from Latin deus (“god”), used in oaths as “by God”. Ciorănescu calls it a doublet of zeu “god”, which also comes from the Latin word. The Academy dictionaries are more cautious: MDA2…
zbate
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *exbattō (“to beat out”), formed from ex- and battō, the Late Latin form of battuō (“to beat”). Ciorănescu cites this view from Densusianu, Pușcariu and Pascu and…
zbea
It is inherited from Latin exbibō (“to drink up”), a compound of ex- and bibō (“to drink”). Tiktin and Scriban also allow a formation from Romanian s- + bea. It is conjugated like bea, with the…
zbiera
Its origin is disputed. According to the DLR, MDA2 and DEX it is probably inherited from Vulgar Latin *exbēlō, a compound of ex- and Late Latin bēlō (“to bleat”), the late form of bālō. Ciorănescu…
zbura
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *exvolō (“to fly out”), formed from Latin ex- (“out”) and volō (“to fly”). The verb survives south of the Danube as Aromanian azboair. The REW finds the same…
zeamă
It is inherited from Latin zema, as DEX, MDA2, the DLR and the DLRLV give it. The Latin noun is only recorded for a cooking pot, and the Romanian sense is closer to Ancient Greek ζέμα (zéma…
zece
It is inherited from Latin decem (“ten”), from Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ (“ten”). The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian dzațe, Megleno-Romanian zeți and Istro-Romanian zece. Its Romance…
zer
Its origin is disputed. According to MDA2 and the DLR it is inherited from Latin serum (“whey”), influenced by zară (buttermilk), and Scriban, the Lexicon de la Buda and Șăineanu also give the Latin…
zestre
It is inherited from Latin dextrae (“solemn pledges”), the plural of dextera (“right hand; pledge”), from dexter (“right”): the pledge given by the right hand. Ciorănescu names Hasdeu, Pușcariu…
zeu
It is inherited from Latin deus (“god”). The Latin word comes from deivos, *deiwos and Proto-Indo-European *deywós (“god”). The interjection zău “truly, by God” is the same word, and Dumnezeu “God”…
zgaibă
It is inherited from Late Latin scabia, the late form of scabiēs (“roughness, itch, mange”), from scabō (“to scratch”). For the change of ⟨-bia⟩ to ⟨-ibă⟩, Ciorănescu compares habeat and aibă. He…
zgâria
Its origin is disputed: DEX and MDA2 take it as inherited from Vulgar Latin *scaberāre, from scaber (“rough, scabby”). Ciorănescu prefers Latin excoriō (“to flay”), from corium (“hide, skin”)…
zgău
The origin is unclear. DEX, MDA2 and the DLR call it of unknown origin. Ciorănescu derives it inherited from Latin cavum (“hollow, cavity”), compared with gaură “hole”. He takes the initial /z/…
zi
It is inherited from Latin diēs (“day”). Wiktionary suggests that the articled ⟨ziua⟩ may continue Vulgar Latin *dilla, the indefinite form being shortened. The Latin noun was formed from the…
zice
It is inherited from Latin dīcō (“to say”). The verb survives in all four branches: Aromanian dzîc, Megleno-Romanian zic and Istro-Romanian zic. Its Romance cognates include Italian dire, French…
zilnic
It is formed from Romanian zi (“day”) + -nic, on the plural ⟨zile⟩. zi is from Latin diēs (“day”).
zvânta
DEX, the DLR, MDA2 and NODEX take it inherited from Vulgar Latin *exventāre (“to air out”). The verb is reconstructed from Romance: the REW sets it beside Italian sventare, French éventer and…