List of Romanian words of possible Dacian origin
According to the specialist Ion I. Russu, there are supposedly 160 Romanian words of Dacian origin.
Below is a list of Romanian words believed by early scholars to be of Dacian origin, which have also been attributed to other origins. The list does not include the Dacian plant names collected by Dioscorides and Pseudo-Apuleius since these words were not retained in Romanian.
Table
- The Notes column contains information found in various dictionaries. "Not in current use" indicates words not found in dictionaries of contemporary Romanian.
| Word / Name | English | Sources | Notes - Alternative etymologies |
| abeș | really, for sure! | Hasdeu, Vraciu | dialectal Banat; from Albanian besë ‘word of honor; faith’, besabesë ‘on my honor!’ |
| Abrud | Abrud river | Hasdeu | older Obruth, from Latin Abruttus; a Slavic form, with a > o and o > a, and non-native preservation of -br- |
| abur | steam, vapour | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | Aromanian abur; from Proto-Albanian *abulā ‘steam, vapor’. |
| acăța, agăța | to hang up, hook up; accost, seize | Russu | Aromanian cățari ‘to snatch’, Istro-Romanian coț ‘id.’; from Latin *ad + captiāre ‘to snatch’; pt > t rare but attested; cf. Latin baptizare > boteza. Acăț "acacia" used in Ardeal region. |
| ademeni | to tempt, lure; deceive | Hasdeu | dial. adimeni; from older ademană ‘ gift, temptation; usury, interest’, from Transylvanian adămană ‘gift’, from Hungarian adomány ‘gift, grant’. |
| adia | to breeze gently; to whisper, touch lightly | Russu | older adiia, West Transylvanian aduĭ, aduĭa, Aromanian adil’u ‘to breathe’; all from Latin *adiliare. |
| aghiuță | devil | Hasdeu | from Greek ágios ‘holy’ + -uță. |
| aidoma | alike, identical | Hasdeu | variant avidoma; from a + Slavic vidomŭ ‘visible’. |
| alac | einkorn ; spelt | Hasdeu | Old Romanian alacu; from Latin alica ‘spelt’. |
| ală | a monster that unleashes storms | Hasdeu | Transylvanian hală; from Bulgarian/Serbo-Croatian dial. ála, hála, from Turkish hala. |
| aldea | ? | Hasdeu | |
| ameți | to drug, anesthetize, stupefy | Russu | from Latin *ammattīre; cf. Old French amatir. |
| andrea | knitting needle | Russu | Muntenian/Transylvanian undrea; from Andrea, Undrea ‘December’, from Greek Andréas ‘St. Andrew’s Day’ ; from the tradition of knitting socks on St. Andrew's Day. Similar to Alb. shëndreu ‘November’, after Shën Ndreu ‘St. Andrew’. |
| anina | to hang up, hook; accost | Russu | from Latin *annināre ‘to rock’; cf. Italian ninnare, Sardinian anninnare, Romansch niner, Provençal nina ‘to fall asleep’ |
| aprig | fiery, hot-blooded; harsh | Russu | variants apric, apreg; from Latin aprīcus ‘sunny, exposed ’; cf. Calabrian apricari ‘to warm’, Spanish ábrego ‘southwest wind’, Occitan abrigar ‘to shelter’. |
| argea | loom | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | plural argele; from Greek argaleiós; also Albanian dial. argali ‘small, wooden loom’ |
| Argeș | Argeș river | Hasdeu | Arghiș, Argyas ; from Pecheneg argiš ‘high ground’ |
| arunca | to throw | Russu | Aromanian arucu; from Latin eruncāre ‘to weed out’; cf. Italian arroncare, Abruzzese arrongá |
| azugă | ? | Hasdeu | Not in current use |
| baci | chief shepherd, cheese-maker | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | Aromanian baciu, Megleno-Romanian bač, Istro-Romanian bațe; from Turkish baş ‘leader, chief’; also Serbo-Croatian bač, Albanian baç, Hungarian bacs |
| baier | thread, band, strap, string; coin necklace; talisman | Russu | Transylvanian baieră, Moldavian baieri, Muntenian băieri, Aromanian bairu; from Latin bājulus, bājula; cf. French baille ‘pail, bucket’ |
| baligă | dung, manure | Russu | Aromanian baligă, Megleno-Romanian balig, Istro-Romanian bålege; from Old Albanian baljëgë ; also Serbo-Croatian bȁlega |
| baltă | pool, puddle | Russu | Aromanian/Megleno-Romanian baltă, Istro-Romanian bote; from Albanian baltë ‘swamp’, from Slavic; cf. Serbo-Croatian blȁto ‘mud’, Czech blato; alternatively, directly from Slavic. |
| bară | marsh, morass | Hasdeu | from Serbo-Croatian bȁra ‘puddle, pool; swamp’ |
| barză | stork | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu, Olteanu | Oltenia bardăș, bardoș ‘stork’, Transylvanian/Aromanian/Megleno-Romanian bardzu ‘white’; feminine of barz ‘whitish ’, from Albanian bardhë ‘white’, bardhosh, bardhash ‘whitish’ |
| bască | beret | Hasdeu, Russu | from French basque |
| batal | wether | Hasdeu | from Turkish battal ‘useless’, itself from Arabic baṭṭāl ‘vain, useless, worthless’ ; also Albanian batal, Serbo-Croatian dial. bàtāl, Bulgarian batal, Greek batálikos ‘rude, boorish’. |
| bălaur, balaur | dragon, monster | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | from Serbo-Croatian blȁvor ‘scheltopusik’, from Albanian bullar. |
| băga | to insert, thrust | Russu | Aromanian bagu ‘to put’, Megleno-Romanian bagari; from Byzantine Greek bázo ‘to put in or on, set down’ |
| băiat | boy; servant, page | Russu | variant băiet; |
| băl, bălan, bălaș | fair-haired, blond ; white-haired | Hasdeu | from Albanian bal ‘white-haired; starred forehead’, balosh, balash ‘white-marked, piebald; dappled; hoary, white-haired’ |
| bâr | call to a sheep | Vraciu | from Albanian berr ‘sheep or goat; small livestock’; cf. Czech beran ‘ram’, Polish/Ukrainian/Russian baran ; Canavese berro ‘ram’, Piemontese bero ‘id.’ |
| bârsă | sheth, standard | NODEX | variant bârță; from Slavic; cf. Slovenian brdče ‘beam holding a trawl net’, Czech brdče ‘thill, draft-pole’ |
| beregată | Adam's apple; gullet, windpipe | Russu | dialectal bereglej, Istro-Romanian biricuată; from Hungarian beragad "to stick, get stuck"; also Serbo-Croatian berikat |
| boare | breeze | Russu | variant bore, Aromanian boră, Megleno-Romanian boari; from Latin boreas "north wind" |
| bordei | sunken-floor cottage | Hasdeu, Russu | older bordeiu "cottage; whorehouse" ; from Hungarian bordély, German Bordell, or Italian bordello, all "brothel". |
| bortă | hole, hollow | Hasdeu | also borti, borteli "to bore"; from Ukrainian bort "hole", bortyty "to bore" |
| brad | fir | Hasdeu, Russu, Olteanu | Aromanian brad; from Proto-Albanian *brada. |
| brândușă | meadow saffron | Russu | from Serbo-Croatian brnduša; akin to Bulgarian brenduška |
| brânză | cheese | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | Aromanian brîndzã, Megleno-Romanian brǫnză; from Albanian brëndës ‘intestines; rennet bag ’, identical to rânză ; Romanian lent Transylvanian German Pränz, Slovak/Polish bryndza, which gave Austrian :de:Brimsen|Brimsen. |
| brâu | belt, waist | Russu | dialectal brân, colloquial brână, Aromanian brãnu, Megleno-Romanan brǫn, Istro-Romanian brĕne; from Old Albanian *bren ; replaced Transylvanian/Bucovina balț ‘loop, eye, ring ’, from Latin balteus ‘belt’. |
| brusture | burdock | Russu | Aromanian broștur, brușturã; from Albanian brushtull ‘heather’ |
| bucura | to be glad | Russu | also bucuros ‘glad’; from Albanian bukuroj ‘to beautify’, bukurosh ‘beautiful’, both from bukur ‘nice, lovely’ |
| buiestru | ambling, ambling gait | Russu | from Slavic *bujestĭ ‘boldness, arrogance’ + suffix -estru |
| bunget | dense, dark forest | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | from Albanian bung ‘chestnut oak’ + Romanian -et ‘grove’. |
| burghiu | drill bit | Hasdeu | Aromanian burghie, Megleno-Romanian burghijă; from Turkish burgü ‘auger, gimlet’; also Bulgarian/Serbo-Croatian burgija ‘drill, gimlet’, Albanian burgi |
| burlan | spout, water pipe | Russu | from Italian borlone ‘rolling cylinder’, from North Italian borlare ‘to roll’ |
| burtă | belly, stomach | Russu | dialectal borț ‘pregnant woman’s belly’ |
| burtucă | ? | Hasdeu | Not in current use. |
| burtuș | ? | Hasdeu | Not in current use. |
| butuc, butură | stump, log; trunk | Russu | from dialectal Bulgarian butuk, butur ‘freshly-chopped tree stump’, from bútam ‘to beat, knock’. |
| buză | lip; edge | Russu | Aromanian budzã "lip; brim"; from Albanian buzë "lip; edge" |
| caier | tow; hemp bundle; distaff-full of wool, etc. to be spun | Russu | Aromanian cairu "distaff-full of wool, etc. to be spun"; from Vulgar Latin *cajulus, diminutive of caia, caiæ "stick" |
| cață | shepherd's rod, crook | Russu | also descăța "to unhook"; See acăța above. |
| cârlan | sheep or goat weanling; 2- or 3-year-old colt | Russu | |
| cârlig | sheep hook | Russu | from Bulgarian kărlik |
| căciulă | high fur cap | Russu | from Albanian kaçule, itself from Latin casula |
| căpușă | sheep louse | Russu | from Albanian këpushë ‘tick’, derivative of kap ‘to grip, snatch’ |
| căpută | toe ; low boot | Russu | from Albanian këputë "sole ", këpucë "shoe"; unrelated to Slavic kopyto "hoof" > Romanian copită |
| cătun | hamlet | Russu | probably from Serbo-Croatian dial. kàtūn ‘herdsmen community; summer pasture’, from South Slavic katunъ ‘camp, military encampment’, from Byzantine Greek katoûna ‘tent camp’, from Italian cantone; cf. Albanian katund ‘village; herdsmen community; widely spread-out village", Romani katúna ‘Gypsy tent’, Bulgarian katun ‘nomadic Gypsy’. |
| cioară | crow | Sala, Hasdeu, Vraciu | Aromanian țoarã, Megleno-Romanian čoară; from Old Albanian *corrë |
| cioc | beak | Sala, Hasdeu, Vraciu | also ciocârlie ‘skylark’; from Serbo-Croatian čok; also Albanian çok ‘hammer; knuckle’. |
| ciomag | club, cudgel | Hasdeu | Aromanian ciumac, Megleno-Romanian čămugă; from Turkish çomak; also Albanian çomage ‘big hammer’ |
| ciut | hornless, poll; one-horned | Russu | dialectal șut; from Slavic; cf. Bulgarian/Serbo-Croatian šut; also Albanian shyt ‘hornless’ |
| codru | wide old forest | Hasdeu, Vraciu | also Aromanian codru ‘public square; hilltop; forest’; from Vulgar Latin *codrum, from Latin quadrum ‘square’; cf. Albanian kodër ‘hill; angular stone, cornerstone’ |
| copac | tree | Sala, Russu | older copaci, Aromanian cupaciu, Megleno-Romanian cupač, Istro-Romanian copaț ‘thicket, brush’; from Albanian kopaç ‘knot in wood, stump, trunk’, itself from Bulgarian kopačĭ ‘sapper’, a derivative of kopája ‘to hollow out, dig out’. |
| copil | child | Russu | Aromanian cochil; from Serbo-Croatian kȍpile, Bulgarian kópele, both "bastard" ; cf. Albanian kopil |
| creț | curly; curly-haired | Russu | Old Romanian creçu; from Slavic; cf. Serbian/Bulgarian krečav "curly", Polish kręty "curly", Slovenian kèrč, Czech krč |
| cruța | to pardon, spare | Russu | from Albanian kursej ‘to spare; save money’, from *kurt, from Latin curtus ‘short’ |
| culbec | snail | Hasdeu | variant cubelc |
| curma | to stop abruptly, interrupt | Russu | older curmez, from Byzantine Greek kormázein ; cf. Albanian kurmua |
| curpăn | vine, twining stem | Russu | from Albanian kurpën, kurpër ‘clematis’, from kurp ‘traveller's joy, old man's beard ’; related to below. |
| cursă | trap, snare | Russu, Olteanu | from Albanian kurth, contraction of dial. kurpth, diminutive of kurp; related to above. |
| custură | blade, knife edge, knife | Russu | variants custure, cusutură, cuțitură, from cuțit "knife' + suffix -tură |
| darari | ? | Russu | Not in current use. |
| daș | ram | Russu | from Albanian dash |
| dărâma | to tear down, demolish, destroy | Russu | Aromanian dãrîmu; from Latin dērāmāre; cf. Albanian dërmoj ‘to cut into pieces; plummet’ |
| deh | ? | Hasdeu | Not in current use. |
| deretica | to tidy up | Russu | variants derăteca, derdica, dereteca; from Latin *deradicare "to root out" |
| dezbăra | to break a habit, to rid | Russu | probably from French débarasser "to rid, get rid of" |
| dezgauc | ? | Hasdeu | |
| doină | lamenting folksong | Hasdeu, Vraciu | Transylvanian daină; from Lithuanian dainà ‘folksong’, derivative of Proto-Baltic *deî- |
| don | ? | Hasdeu | |
| dop | cork, plug | Russu | from Transylvanian German Dop. |
| droaie | crowd, multitude; a lot | Russu | back-formation from the plural droi, from Albanian droe, droje ‘fear’; same sense development in Rom. groază ‘horror’ > o groază de ‘a lot of’. |
| dulău | mastiff | Hasdeu, Vraciu | from Polish dolow |
| fărâmă | crumb, morsel, bit | Russu | variant sfărâmă, Aromanian sîrmã; from Albanian thërrime, from ther ‘to stab, slaughter, snip’ |
| gard | fence | Russu | Istro-Romanian gård "wattle gate to a pen"; from Albanian gardh; unrelated to Slavic gradŭ > Alb gradë |
| gata | ready, done | Russu | from Albanian gat "ready", from gatuaj ‘to ready, prepare; cook’, from Slavic *gotovati; cf. Serbo-Croatian gotov "ready", Polish gotowy. |
| gâde | executioner; tyrant | Hasdeu | plural gâzi; from Bulgarian gidija ‘crazy, extravagant, reckless’, Serbian gad "scoundrel" |
| gâdila | to tickle | Hasdeu | var. gâdili, gâdeli, ghidili, Aromanian gádil, gădilare; from Bulgarian gădel me e ‘it tickles’, from gădeličkam, from Turkish gıdıklamak. |
| gălbează | liver rot, sheep pox | Russu | variant călbează; from Albanian gëlbazë, këlbazë, klëbacë ‘sheep pox’, itself from the Albanian word "kalb" with a diminutive suffixe -zë, commonly seen in disease names. |
| genune | depth, abyss | Hasdeu, Russu | dialectal gerune, Old Romanian gerure; from Latin gyrō, gyrōnem |
| gheară | claw, talon | Russu | from Arabic garaf ‘grasp’ |
| ghes | a poke, a goad | Russu | dialectal ghies, ghios; from Hungarian gyűszű ‘thimble’ |
| ghimpe | thorn | Russu | from Albanian gjemb |
| ghiob | cheese vat | Hasdeu | from Hungarian döböny ‘cylindrical, wooden, lidded crockery for honey and the like’ |
| ghionoaie | woodpecker | Sala, Russu | dialectal ghionoi, ghin, Aromanian ǵionu ‘tawny owl’; from Albanian gjon ‘scops owl’, from Gjon ‘John’; Albanian also has qukapik ‘woodpecker’ |
| ghiont | nudge, poke | Russu | |
| ghiuj | gaffer, old fogey | Hasdeu, Vraciu | Aromanian ghiuș; from Albanian gjysh "grandfather" |
| gordin | kind of grapes used in winemaking | Hasdeu | variants gordean, gardină, gorgan, gordan; from Russian gordina "currant" |
| gorun | durmast oak | Russu | from Bulgarian gorun |
| grapă | harrow | Russu | from Albanian grep ‘hook’. |
| gresie | sandstone, whetstone | Russu | Aromanian greasă; from Albanian gërresë ‘rasp, scraper; drawing knife’, from gërryej ‘to scrape, scour’ |
| groapă | hole, pit | Russu | Aromanian/Megleno-Romanian groapă, Istro-Romanian gropă; Albanian gropë, Montenegrin grȍp, variant of Serbo-Croatian grȍb |
| grui | hilltop, hillock | Russu | variant gruńu, Aromanian gruñiu ‘chin’; from Latin grunnium; cf. French groin ‘pig snout’, Italian grugno ‘snout’, Romansh grugn ‘chin’. |
| grumaz | neck | Russu, NODEX | Aromanian grumadz, gurmadz; from Albanian gurmaz ‘gaping maw, wide-open jaws; esophagus’, itself from kurm ‘trunk, torso’ |
| grunz | lump, clod | Russu | variants grunț, Aromanian grundã ‘lump’, grundzã ‘bran’; from Albanian krunde ‘coarse bran; sawdust’, derivative of kruaj ‘to scratch’ |
| gudura | to fawn, cajole | Russu | from Albanian gudulis ‘to tickle; pleasure’; unrelated to Romanian gâdila ‘to tickle’. |
| gușă | a bird's crop; goiter | Russu | Aromanian gușe "neck, goiter"; from Late Latin geusiæ ; cf. Italian gozzo, Friulian gose, French gosier; also Albanian gushë, Bulgarian/Serbian guša. |
| hojma | repeatedly, continuously | Hasdeu, Vraciu | from Ukrainian hožma |
| iazmă | ugly and evil apparition, ghost | Hasdeu | western aiazmă, eastern agheazmă; from Greek agíasma ‘holy water; sacred spring’. |
| iele | white lady, Dames Blanches, who bewitch men with song and dance | Hasdeu | variant ele; from Romanian ele, feminine form of el "they". Euphemism of Romanian word dînsele 'ghost, soul of the dead' |
| încurca | to tangle, to mix up | Russu | from Vulgar Latin *incolicare, from colus "distaff"; also descurca "to untangle" |
| înghina | to assemble, to put together | Russu | variant of îmbina, from Latin imbinare; cf. Friulian imbinâ; likewise dezbina ~ desghina "to take apart, disassemble" |
| îngurzi | to wrinkle the edge of a fabric or the sole of a shoe with a thread | Russu | variant îngruzi; from în + gurgui |
| însăila | to stitch, to sew temporarily | Russu | variant înseila; from dial. saia "stitch", from Transylvanian German Seil "cord, rope". |
| întrema | to recover after illness or fatigue | Russu | variants întrăma, întrarma, back-formation from destrăma ‘unweave, unravel, break up’. |
| jeț | tall-backed chair | Hasdeu, Vraciu | variants jețiu, jățiu; from Transylvanian German Sätz "seat"; but older and dialectal variants jilț, jelț may have been influenced by Slavic; cf. Czech židlice "stool; seat", Serbo-Croatian sjedalo |
| leagăn | cradle, swing | Russu | variants leangăn, leagănă; Istro-Romanian leagăr; back-formation of legăna "to rock, swing", from Byzantine Greek liknon "cradle" |
| lepăda | to drop; to take off | Russu | dialectal lăpăda; Aromanian aleapidu "to throw, abandon"; from Latin lapidare "to throw stones" |
| lespede | plat, slab, flagstone, gravestone | Russu | from Rusyn lepest "page, sheet", dialectal lespet, from lepestitj "to shed" |
| leșina | to faint | Russu | from Serbo-Croatian lešina "corpse" |
| mal | lakeside shore, riverbank; coast | Sala, Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | from Albanian mal "mountain" |
| maldac, măldac | a small load | Hasdeu | from Greek mandákis |
| mazăre | pea | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu, Olteanu | Aromanian madzãre; also Romanian măzăriche ‘vetch’, Aromanian mãdziricl’e; from Albanian modhull ‘yellow vetchling’, diminutive of modhë ‘rye-grass, brome’ |
| mânz | foal, colt | Russu | Aromanian mîndzu, Megleno-Romanian mǫndz; from Old Albanian manz. Also mânzat ‘steer’, from OAlb. *manzat. |
| măceș | sweetbrier | Russu | |
| mădări | to pamper, to spoil | Russu | from Transylvanian German maddern |
| măgură | hill, knoll | Sala, Russu | dialectal Romanian and Aromanian măgulă; from Albanian magulë, a metathesis of gamulë; likewise Serbo-Croatian gòmila ~ mògila 'heap'. |
| mălai | cornflour; dial. millet | Hasdeu | Moldavian malai; from Albanian miell "flour" or mel "millet", from Latin milium |
| mămăligă | polenta, cornmeal mush | Hasdeu | Aromanian mumalig; from Bulgarian mamuli, metathesis of Turkish muhlama "pudding-like dish of cornmeal cooked in butter and water" |
| mărcat | rancid milk | Russu | |
| mătură | broom | Russu | Aromanian metură, Megleno-Romanian mietură, Istro-Romanian meture; from Vulgar Latin *metula, from early Slavic; cf. Serbo-Croatian mètla, Bulgarian metlá ‘broom’ |
| Mehadia | Mehadia | Hasdeu | 1614; from Hungarian Mihald, Myhold, from Mihály "Michael" + -d |
| melc | snail | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | older melciu, Aromanian zmelciu; from Bulgarian melčev, melčov, melčo ‘snail’ |
| mieriu | sky blue; bluish, whitish | Russu | from dial. mier ‘blue’, from Latin merus |
| mire | bridegroom | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | from Albanian mirë ‘good’; replaced Old Romanian măritu. |
| mistreț | wild boar | Russu | from Latin mixtīcius ‘mixed, crossbred, hybrid’; cf. Spanish mestizo ‘half-breed’; also Albanian mistrec ‘runt; brat, trouble-maker’. |
| mișca | to move, stir | Russu | Megleno-Romanian micicari; from Slavic; cf. Slovene mîkati "to jerk", Czech mikati "to move abruptly" |
| morman | pile, heap | Russu | |
| moș | old man | Russu | back-formed from moașă ‘midwife’, from Albanian moshë ‘age’, moshëm ‘old, aged’; replaced Old Romanian auș, from Latin avus. |
| moț | tuft, crest | Hasdeu | from Slavic; cf. Czech/Slovak moc ‘power, clout’, Serbo-Croatian mȏć ‘id.’ |
| mozoc | large shepherd dog | Hasdeu | variant mosoc |
| mugure | bud | Russu | from Albanian mugull "bud, sprout" |
| munună, murună | hilltop | Russu | |
| murg | dark-bay horse | Sala, Russu | Aromanian murgu, Megleno-Romanian murg; also amurg 'twilight, dusk'; from Albanian murg "dark". |
| mușat | handsome | Russu | Aromanian mușeat, Megleno-Romanian/Istro-Romanian mușat; clipped form of *frumușat, from frumos |
| năpârcă | common adder, viper | Russu | Aromanian năpîrtică; from Albanian nepërtkë, from Slavic *nepŭrŭtkŭ; cf. Bulgarian neprătăk ‘buttercup’. |
| năsărâmbă | prank, mischief | Hasdeu | from sărâmb "head" |
| nițel | a little | Russu | from Old Romanian nișchițel, diminutive of nișchit, neșchit "tiny", from niște, nește "some, a few", from Latin nescit |
| noian | multitude, heap; abyss, immense sea | Sala, Russu | from Albanian ujanë "ocean", from ujë "water" |
| ortoman | rich ; handsome ; quick | Hasdeu | variants iortoman, hartoman; from Turkish yortman "to run, flee" |
| păstaie | pod, capsule, hull | Russu | Aromanian păstăl'e; from Vulgar Latin pistālia, from pistāre "to pound"; cf. Albanian bishtajë "pod, hull; string bean" |
| pânză | cloth, linen, fabric, textile | Russu | Aromanian pîndzã, Megleno-Romanian pǫndză, Istro-Romanian pănzę; from Vulgar Latin *pandia, from pandere |
| pârâu | brook, creek | Russu | dial. pârău, Megleno-Romanian păroi; from Albanian përrua ‘torrent, rushing stream’, from Bulgarian poroj ‘torrent’, from *po-rojĭ ; ending influenced by Romanian râu "river; stream", from Latin rivus |
| păstra | to keep up | Russu | older păstrez; Aromanian spăstrescu, Megleno-Romanian păstres; from Greek pastrevo ‘to clean, cleanse’, from Byzantine Greek spastréuō; cf. Bulgarian pastrja |
| prunc | toddler, infant | Russu | from early Serbo-Croatian *prǫtče ‘small rod’, variant of *prątče, diminutive of *prątŭ ‘rod’ |
| pupăză | hoopoe | Sala | Aromanian pupăză, Megleno-Romanian pupează; from Albanian pupëz, diminutive of pupë, from Latin upupa |
| pururi | always, forever | Russu | variant purure, pururea; from d pure |
| rață | duck | Hasdeu, Vraciu, Sala | from Serbo-Croatian dial. rȁca, race, from Old Albanian *roça |
| râmf | birthwort | Hasdeu | variants rimf, remf, rempf; from Transylvanian German Rämp ‘birthwort’ ~ Rimf ‘tansy ’ |
| rânză | abomasum | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | Aromanian arîndzã ‘rennet’; from Albanian rrëndës ‘rennet’. |
| răbda | to suffer, endure, tolerate | Russu | older/Transylvanian rebda, Aromanian aravdu, arăvdare; from Latin *rigidare |
| reazem | support, backing, prop | Russu | variants razăm, reazăm, reazim; back-formation from rezema "to lean against, prop up" |
| ridica | to raise, lift | Russu | older aridica, dialectal radica, Aromanian ardic; from Latin eradicare "to uproot" |
| Sarmisegetuza | Sarmizegetusa | Hasdeu | refers to a pre-Roman Dacian archaeological site; did not survive into Romanian |
| sâmbure | kernel; pip, core | Russu, NODEX, Olteanu | dialectal simbure, sumbure, Aromanian sîmbure, sumbur; from Albanian sumbull "push button; bud" |
| sâmvea | Hasdeu | ||
| scăpăra | to strike fire; sparkle, lighten | Russu | Aromanian ascăpirare, Megleno-Romanian scăpirari; from Albanian shkrep "to strike fire", shkrepës "flint" |
| scrum | ashes | Russu | older scrumb; from Albanian shkrumb; also Bulgarian скрум |
| scula | to get up, wake up | Russu | Aromanian sculare, Megleno-Romanian sculari, Istro-Romanian scolu; back-formed from răscula "to rise up, revolt, rebel", from South Slavic raskoliti; cf. Serbo-Croatian raskòliti ‘to split, cleave, rive’. |
| scurma | to scrape or dig | Russu | from Vulgar Latin *excorrimāre; although rimāre > Romanian râma. |
| searbăd | insipid | Russu, Olteanu | older sarbăd, Aromanian sarbit; from Albanian tharbët "sour" |
| spânz | purple hellebore | Russu | variants spânț, spunz, Aromanian spingiu; from Albanian shpendër |
| stână | sheepfold | Hasdeu, Vraciu, NODEX | variants stan, stean, Aromanian stînă, stane; from Slavic; cf. Bulgarian/Serbo-Croatian stan "shepherd's hut" |
| stăpân | master, owner | Hasdeu, Vraciu | Megleno-Romanian stăpǫn; from Slavic stopanŭ; cf. Macedonian stopan, Serbo-Croatian stopanin; also Albanian shtëpâ ‘cheese-making shepherd’. |
| strănut | with a white spot on nose | Russu | variants strenut, stărnut; back-formation from strănuta, from Latin sternūtāre "to sneeze" |
| stejar | oak | Hasdeu, Vraciu | variants stăjer, stăjar, strejar; from Bulgarian stežer ; doublet of steajer, from Serbo-Croatian stežer "trunk" |
| steregie | soot caked in a chimney; scum; dross, waste; wine tartar | Russu | variants stirigie, stirighie, etc.; from variants tereghie, tirghie, etc. "wine tartar", from Greek trugiá, blended with Serbo-Croatian striješ "wine tartar" |
| sterp | barren, infertile | Russu | eastern stărp, Aromanian sterpu; from Byzantine Greek stérifos ; cf. Albanian shterpë, Slovene stirpa, Venetian sterpa. |
| străghiață | cottage cheese | Russu | variant stereghiață, Banat străghiată, Aromanian strãgl’atã, Megleno-Romanian strigl’ată; from Bulgarian strigle, literally ‘clipped, sheared’, preterit/past participle of striža ‘to shear, clip’; cf. Greek éstriglos ~ strigária ‘gleanings’ ; also Serbo-Croatian strigljata, Greek stringléta |
| strepede | cheese maggot | Russu | Aromanian streapit "cheese mite", Megleno-Romanian strepij; from Albanian shtrep "maggot, larva" |
| strugure | grape; bunch | Russu, NODEX | Aromanian strugur ‘sliver, gleanings’; singularized plural, from dialectal strug, deverbative of dial. strugi, struji ‘to shave or scrape off; chisel’; replaced Old Romanian auă, from Latin ūva |
| strungă | sheepfold; narrow passage, canyon | Russu, NODEX | from Albanian shtrungë ‘milking enclosure’, from shtroj ‘to spread’ |
| sugruma | to strangle, to burke | Russu | from sub "under" + grumaz "throat". |
| sugușa | to strangle, to burke | Russu | from sub "under" + gușă "neck; goiter". |
| șale | loins, small of the back | Russu | Aromaian șali ‘loins’; from Albanian shalë ‘saddle; inner thigh’, from Latin sella ‘saddle’; cf. inherited Romanian șa, Aromanian șeauã, șelã, both ‘saddle’ |
| șir | row, line | Hasdeu, Russu | also șiră "spine"; from Greek sirá ‘line, row; cord, rope’ |
| șopârlă | wall lizard | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | variant șopirlă, Aromanian ciupilar ; from Albanian zhapi ‘lizard’. |
| șorici | bacon skin, pork rind | Russu | Moldavian cioric; from Slavic; cf. Serbo-Croatian čvarak, Czech škvarek, Polish skwarek |
| tare | hard | Russu | Aromanian tari ‘some, certain’, Megleno-Romanian tari, Istro-Romanian tore; from Latin talis ‘such’; cf. Albanian tallë |
| traistă | bag | Hasdeu | older taistră, tainstră, traistră, Bassarabia/Maramarus straistă, Transylvanian straiță; cf. Albanian trastë, trajstë, strajcë. |
| tulei | whiskers | Hasdeu | from Serbo-Croatian tulaj, Ukrainian tulij. |
| țap | he-goat; buck | Russu | from Albanian cjap. |
| țarc | pen, fold | Russu, Olteanu | from Albanian thark ‘enclosure ’. |
| țarină | country, land | Russu | from Serbo-Croatian carina.; alternatively and possibly from țară + suffix -ină. |
| țăruș | pole, pale, picket | Russu | from Ukrainian taraš "post, pile, pillar" |
| țumburuș | small, round knob, nub | Olteanu | older țâmburuș; from Albanian thumbull ‘button; pin’; nearly identical to sâmbure . |
| țurcă | traditional Romanian game | Hasdeu | from Ukrainian curka |
| uita | respectively: to look, to forget | Russu | Banat/Maramus zăuita, Aromanian ultare, Megleno-Romanian ul’t, Istro-Romanian utu; from Latin oblitare "to forget"; cf. Occitan/Catalan oblidar, French oublier |
| urca | to mount, ascend; increase | Russu | from Vulgar Latin *oricāre, frequentative of orior "to rise". |
| urcior | stye | Russu | variant ulcior, Aromanian ulcior, urcior; from Latin hordeolus; cf. Italian orzaiolo, Old French orgeoul, Spanish orzuelo |
| urdă | cottage cheese | Hasdeu, Russu, Vraciu | from dialectal Albanian urdhë |
| urdina | to go frequently, visit; have diarrhea | Russu | from Latin ordināre "to put in order"; cf. Spanish ordeñar |
| urdoare | bleariness; eye snot | Russu | from Latin horridus; cf. Old French ord ‘foul’. |
| vatră | hearth, fireplace; home | Hasdeu, Russu. | from Albanian vatër; also Serbian vatra "fire" |
| vătăma | to hurt, to injure | Russu | from Latin victimare "to sacrifice" |
| vătui | yearling kid ; hare | Russu | older vătuiu, Aromanian/Megleno-Romanian vitul’u; from Byzantine Greek *vitoúlion ; also Albanian ftujë ‘female kid’ |
| viezure | badger | Sala, Russu, Olteanu | older viedzure, Aromanian yedzurã, yedzãre; from Albanian vjedhull, from vjedh "to steal" |
| viscol | snowstorm, snow squall | Russu | from Hungarian *veszkölni ~ viszkol, as in veszködni ‘to agitate’, from visz, vesz ‘to take; bear’. |
| zară | buttermilk | Russu | from *dzară, from Albanian dhallë; also Aromanian dhală |
| zâmbru | Swiss pine, Arolla pine | Hasdeu, Vraciu | from Italian cembro |
| zârnă | black nightshade, sunberry | Hasdeu | from Slavic *zĭrno ~ zarno ‘grain; berry’; cf. Serbo-Croatian zȑno, zȃrno, Bulgarian zărno |
| zburda | sport, frolic, frisk about | Russu | variant sburda; from Byzantine Greek spyrthizein ‘to frolic, lark ’ |
| zer | whey | Russu, Olteanu | older zăr, Moldavian/Banat/Aromanian dzăr, masculine back-formation from zară. |
| zestre | dowry | Russu | from Latin dextræ "solemn vow" |
| zgardă | dog collar | Russu | from Albanian shkardhë ‘dog chain; wicker gate in fence’, from sh- + gardhë ‘fence’. |
| zgâria | to scratch | Russu | Megleno-Romanian zgair, zgăirari; from Latin *scaberare. |
| zgîrma, zgrîma, sgrîma | to scratch, scrape | Russu | cf. Romanian scurma above |
| zimbru | wisent | Hasdeu, Vraciu | from Old Slavic *zǫbrъ; cf. Ukrainian zubr, Slovak zubor, Bulgarian zúbǎr |