I’m always out there looking for words in Romanian that you can’t easily find in the dictionary or that the online translation websites aren’t smart enough to handle. Today’s word is purici (poo-reetch), which under ordinary circumstances just means “fleas”, as in the jumping, biting insects that sometimes infest mammals. Etymologically the only related word in English is pruritis, the “fancy” medical term used for … Continue reading WOTD: Purici
I’ve realized over the years that I keep writing about gypsies, a race of people that few “outsiders” ever want to bother to understand. The gypsies are just there, usually bothersome, and the most compassionate outsiders just want them to “integrate” and be like everyone else. One of the reasons they won’t “be like everyone else” is precisely because they have so many of their … Continue reading Word of the Day: Stabor
With the internet being so ubiquitous and dictionaries (online and “offline” in print) so accessible, there isn’t much need for me to “teach” or translate most Romanian words here on the blog. That being said, sometimes some words aren’t in the dictionary but nonetheless are essential components of speaking the Romanian language. Today’s word is one such example – rămâne (ra-moon-eh), which ordinarily is a … Continue reading WOTD: Rămâne
As Europeans began their centuries long business of exploration, subjugation, genocide, slavery and colonization of lands inhabited by the indigenous peoples (“Indians”) of the Americas, it isn’t surprising that along the way they adopted native words into their own language for the plants, animals and activities that they encountered. Modern English has hundreds of words in regular use that were originally native words. Just yesterday … Continue reading WOTD: Cauciuc
I actually learned this word this year, which just goes to show you that you should never stop learning words, even in your own native language (my latest acquisition in English is gallimaufry). The verb I just learned recently is impodobi, which has a regular series of conjugations. The verb is a combination of im (to effect/add/put) and podoaba, meaning decorations, ornaments or accessories (from … Continue reading WOTD: Impodobi
All Things Romania 