When you have a language like Romanian, sometimes you get two (or more) similar words with subtle shades of meaning that come from two different linguistic sources. In Romanian, stiri (shteer) and veste (ves-teh) both mean “news.” The first comes from Latin and means “knowledge” while the second comes from Slavic roots and means “that which is new” or news. If you’re talking about journalism, … Continue reading Good News
Following up on my post A Refreshing Drink of Sweet Water Juice, I thought I’d explore some other common words in the Romanian language which have a number of common variants. When I first moved to Cluj-Napoca and I’d go to the grocery store, the clerk would ask me if I wanted a punga. This is probably the most universal word in Romanian for “bag”, … Continue reading The Net Bag Mini Sack Pack
Someone recently asked me if I’m a linguist, and I’m afraid I replied in a somewhat saucy manner simply because the question tickles me. In all seriousness, no I am not a linguist. I can barely speak English good on a day :P I do, however, greatly enjoy languages, especially their quirks and oddities. One of them is the Romanian word for a body part, … Continue reading The Mysterious Case of the Foot Leg
All Things Romania 