Romanian words from Latin
1833 Romanian words with Latin in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 6).
ce
It is inherited from Latin quid (“what”), which survives in every Romance language. The Latin word comes from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid. DELR adds that as a relative pronoun and adjective it also…
ceapă
It is inherited from Latin cēpa (“onion”) (also spelled caepa). The Latin word is probably a loan from an unknown language; a Greek gloss Ancient Greek κάπια (kápia, “onions”) may reflect the same…
ceară
It is inherited from Latin cēra (“wax”). The Latin word is related to Ancient Greek κηρός (kērós, “wax”) and may have been borrowed from Greek. It survives in Aromanian as tsearã, also “candle”, and…
ceață
It is inherited from Late Latin caecia (“dimness of the eyes”), a Late Latin noun recorded in the glosses, derived from caecus (“blind”). The Latin adjective goes back to Proto-Indo-European…
celar
It is inherited from Latin cellārium (“storeroom, pantry”), from cella (“storeroom, small room”). De Vaan considers that the Latin noun may keep the long-vowel base of cēlō (“to conceal”). The word…
celulă
It is borrowed from French cellule, and directly borrowed from Latin cellula (“small room”): DEX 2009, MDA2, Marcu and Wiktionary name both. Tiktin gives the Latin word with the French as a…
cenușă
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *cinusia, a collective formed on Latin cinus, a by-form of cinis (“ashes”) that was declined like genus. Ciorănescu finds the Vulgar Latin form confirmed by…
cep
It is inherited from Latin cippus (“stake, post; boundary stone”), which DELR also cites in a vulgar form. The Latin word may go back to a noun Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeip-o- (“pole, stick”) and be…
cer
1. The word for the Turkey oak is inherited from Latin cerrus (“Turkey oak”). It survives south of the Danube and in Istria as Aromanian țer and Istro-Romanian cer. The Latin word also gave Italian…
cerb
It is inherited from Latin cervus (“stag, deer”). It survives south of the Danube: Aromanian tserbu and Megleno-Romanian țerb. Its Romance cognates include Italian cervo, French cerf, Spanish ciervo…
cerbice
It is inherited from Latin cervīx (“neck, nape”), continued in its accusative form ⟨cervīcem⟩. The Latin word has been traced to Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (“head”) and *weyk- (“to bend”), “where…
cerc
It is inherited from Latin circus (“circle, ring”), and its modern senses were added after French cercle. The Latin noun is probably from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos, “ring”), also κίρκος (kírkos)…
cerca
It is inherited from Late Latin circō (“to go round, encircle”), formed on circa (“around”) and circus (“circle”). The same verb gave Italian cercare, French chercher, Occitan cercar, Catalan…
cercel
It is inherited from Latin circellus (“small ring”), a diminutive of circulus (“circle, ring”). In several Romance languages the Latin word also came to mean “earring”, as in Romanian: DELR names…
cerceta
It is inherited from Late Latin circitō (“to go round, to patrol”), kept only in Romanian among the Romance languages. The Latin verb is an iterative of Latin circō (“to go round”) or of circumeō…
cere
It is inherited from Latin quaerō (“to seek, look for; to ask”). The Latin verb's own origin is uncertain: Wiktionary reports Nussbaum's and de Vaan's derivation from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂-…
cerențel
It is inherited from Latin cērinthē (“a plant, honeywort”), extended with the diminutive suffix -el, as Densusianu proposed in the journal Romania (volume 33). Pușcariu, the DA, CADE and Ciorănescu…
cerne
It is inherited from Latin cernō (“to sift, distinguish, decide”), with the same conjugation class. The Latin verb goes back to *krei- (“to sift, separate”) and is related to Ancient Greek κρίνω…
certa
It is inherited from Latin certō (“to contend, fight”). DELR describes the Latin verb as a frequentative of cernō (“to sift, decide”), first meaning “to seek a decision, to debate”. The DA notes…
cetate
It is inherited from Latin cīvitās (“citizenship; city”), through its accusative. The Latin noun is formed on cīvis (“citizen”). The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian țitate…
ceteră
It is inherited from Latin cithera, the popular Latin form of cithara (“lyre, cithara”). The Appendix Probi of the 5th century already condemns it as a mistake for the classical form. Latin took the…
cheag
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *clagum (“rennet”), a form with metathesis of Latin quaglum or *caglum, the popular contractions of coāgulum (“rennet, curdled milk”). The Latin noun is formed on…
cheie
It is inherited from Latin clāvis (“key”), from the accusative clāvem, a word kept by the Romance languages. DELR records an older form ⟨cleie⟩ in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis of about 1650. The…
chema
It is inherited from Latin clāmō (“to shout, cry out; to call”). The Latin verb looks like a derivative of a lost noun meaning “shout”, and Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to…
cheotoare
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *clautoria, built on *clautus, a variant of *clavutus, and so going back to Latin clāvus (“nail”). DELR traces the form to *clāvātōria, from clāvō (“to nail”)…
chiar
It is inherited from Latin clārus (“loud; bright, clear”). De Vaan derives the Latin adjective from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁-, with the same shift from “loud” to “clear” as in German hell. The…
chingă
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *clinga, a form with metathesis of Late Latin cingula (“girdle, girth”), the plural of cingulum (“belt”), from cingō (“to gird”). DELR compares the metathesis in…
cicoare
1. The word for chicory is inherited from Vulgar Latin *cichoria, a form taken from the plural of cichōrium, which comes from Ancient Greek κιχόριον (kikhórion, “chicory”). DELR writes the popular…
cimpoi
The origin is disputed, and DEX calls it unknown. The usual explanation, from Giuglea and Pușcariu, is inherited from Vulgar Latin *centipollium for Latin centipellium (“third stomach of a…
cina
It is inherited from Latin cēnō (“to dine”). The Latin verb is formed on cēna (“dinner”), which gave the Romanian noun cină. DELR calls the verb pan-Romance. It survives in all four branches…
cină
It is inherited from Latin cēna (“meal, dinner”). The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian țină, Megleno-Romanian țină and Istro-Romanian cirę. Its Romance cognates include Italian cena…
cince
It is inherited from Latin cīmex (“bedbug”), continued from its accusative cīmicem. Drăganu identified the Latin source, and Ciorănescu also cites the DA and Pușcariu for it. MDA2 gives the etymon…
cinci
It is inherited from Latin cīnque (“five”), the spoken form of quīnque with the first /kʷ/ dissimilated. Pușcariu cites ⟨cinque⟩ from inscriptions and notes that the classical form itself would also…
cine
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *quene, from Latin quem, the accusative of quī (“who”). In this view the monosyllable ⟨quem⟩ became *quen and took a final vowel, as Latin mel gave miere. The…
cinge
It is inherited from Latin cingō (“to gird, surround”). Ciorănescu also cites Pușcariu and the DA for it. The verb survives south of the Danube: Aromanian țingu and Megleno-Romanian nțing. Its…
cireașă
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin ceresia (“cherries”), the later Latin form of cerasia, the plural of cerasium (“cherry”), which is from Ancient Greek κεράσιον (kerásion, “cherry”). The forms with…
cireș
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *ceresius (“cherry tree”), a form of Late Latin cerasius beside Latin cerasus (“cherry tree”). DELR writes the etymon cereseus and cites Cihac, Candrea–Densusianu…
ciumă
It is probably inherited from Latin cȳma (“bud, shoot, top of a plant”), which is from Ancient Greek κῦμα (kûma, “swelling; wave”). The word first meant “swelling”, a sense that survives in regional…
ciur
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *cībrum (“sieve”), a dissimilated form of Latin crībrum (“sieve”). Candrea and Densusianu found this form in a Latin glossary and think the dissimilation began in…
ciutură
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *cytola, a form of Latin cotyla (“small cup”) with its first two vowels swapped, from Ancient Greek κοτύλη (kotúlē, “bowl, small cup”). DELR cites Pușcariu, the…
clar
It is a learned borrowed from Latin clārus (“bright, clear, famous”) of the early 19th century. DELR, DEX and Tiktin also name borrowed from French clair, itself adapted after the Latin word, and…
coace
It is inherited from Late Latin cocō (“to cook”), the popular form of Latin coquō (“to cook, bake; to ripen”). The Latin verb goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pekʷ- (“to cook, ripen”), with /p/…
coacin
It is inherited from Latin coccinus (“scarlet”), a shepherds' colour word applied to sheep. Wiktionary allows also the longer Latin form coccineus (“scarlet-dyed”). The Latin adjective is from…
coadă
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin cōda (“tail”), the popular form of Latin cauda. DER and DELR cite Pușcariu, Candrea–Densusianu and the REW for this etymon, which DELR calls pan-Romance. The DA…
coamă
It is inherited from Latin coma (“hair of the head; mane; foliage”). The Latin word is from Ancient Greek κόμη (kómē, “hair of the head”). The word survives in all four branches: Aromanian coamã…
coapsă
It is inherited from Latin coxa (“hip, haunch”). The Latin word comes from Proto-Indo-European *kóḱseh₂, from *koḱs- (“joint, limb”); de Vaan reconstructs *koḱs-h₂-. Latin /ks/ became /ps/ here, but…
coardă
It is inherited from Latin chorda (“string of a musical instrument, later also of a bow”), from Ancient Greek χορδή (khordḗ, “gut; string of an instrument”). The senses of music, mathematics…
coarnă
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *corna, the neuter plural of Latin cornum (“cornelian cherry”) taken as a feminine singular. Ciorănescu treats it instead as a Romanian derivative of corn, the name…
coase
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *cōsō (“to sew”), the popular form of classical cōnsuō. Candrea and Densusianu cite the form ⟨cosere⟩ from a Latin glossary and explain it by the loss of /n/ and…
coastă
It is inherited from Latin costa (“rib; side”). DELR adds that the sense “seashore” follows French côte. It survives in all four branches: Aromanian coastã, Megleno-Romanian coasta and…
codobatură
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *codabattula, a compound of Latin cōda, the rustic form of cauda (“tail”), with a form of battuō (“to beat”) and the suffix -ula: “the one that beats its tail”…
codru
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *codrum, a form of Latin quadrum (“square”) that is not recorded as such; the Late Latin codra “public square” in the glossaries and the names Codratus and…
coi
It is inherited from Latin cōleus (“testicle”). Wiktionary sets a Vulgar Latin neuter *coleum between the two, made neuter because testicles come in pairs, hence the Romanian neuter. It survives in…
colastră
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *colastra, a form of Latin colostra (“beestings”) (also colostrum), a pastoral word of obscure origin. Ciorănescu takes corastră as the regular outcome, with…
coleg
It is borrowed from French collègue. The old forms ⟨colega⟩ and ⟨colegă⟩ are borrowed from New Latin collēga, the learned Latin word. Ciorănescu takes the word itself from Latin, and Tiktin and…
comânda
It is inherited from Latin commendō (“to entrust, commend”), in its popular form *commandō, remade on mandō (“to entrust”). The Latin verb is formed from con- and that verb. The Romanian senses…
comânji
Its origin is uncertain. According to Philippide it is inherited from Latin commingō (“to defile with urine”), from con- and mingō (“to urinate”), shaped in form and sense by mânji “to soil”…
conduce
It is borrowed from Latin condūcō (“to bring together, gather, (late) to lead”), a learned borrowing that took on the senses of French conduire. The Latin verb is formed con- and dūcō (“to lead”)…
contact
It is borrowed from French contact, with borrowed from Latin contactus (“touch”) as a second source, as DELR, DEX, DN, MDN, MDA2 and Tiktin give it. Wiktionary gives only the French noun, Scriban…
conteni
DELR takes it as inherited from Latin contineō (“to hold together, keep in, restrain”), itself formed from con- and teneō (“to hold”), which moved early to the fourth conjugation of Romanian verbs…