george knysh wrote:
> ******GK: This is another area worthy of exploration.
> After all no matter what the vernacular the
> ecclesiastical and liturgical language of the
> Romanians WAS Slavic for hundreds and hundreds of
> years. And there would be no reason to avoid the
> terminology conveyed in these texts. They just had to
> be current. If they did not make it into the language,
> there must be a reason. I take it that the translation
> of Christian texts into Romanian earnestly begun in
> the 17th century tended to avoid Slavicisms as much as
> possible?? I am not very versed on this. *******
The translation for the Christian texts is older, but not too much older
if we except the Codex of Ieud which is supposed to be from the XIV
century. The rest of the texts are beginning with XVI century. I don't
know in how far it is interesting for you, I will give here some
religious terms and more. I will give the accepted etymology for these
words:
From the linguistic point of view, I wondered about the word angel and
archangel. The first one shows the expected phonetically changes since
we have "înger" < angelus. The another seems very recent in the language
since the word is "arhanghel". As name for persons there is the name
"Anghel" which is too of recent nature. Teh word "arhanghel" is given by
DEX as from Slavic "arhangelU".
An another interesting word is the name of son God's which in Rom is
"Isus Cristos" ( interesting, teh cultname of Bacchus, Dyonissios vas
"Iacchus"). The both words do not look as inherited ("cristos" by no way
since christian is in Rom. "creStin", as for "Isus" I expected the word
in an another form for being inherited). Maybe are the both words coming
trough the Slavic filter? The other angelic beings, in hierarchical
order as heruvims, serafims there are all new words (seruvimi, serafimi)
devil was discussed, this is "dracul" and supposed to come from Latin
"dracones" whereby phonologically does not work very regular.
paradise is the word "rai" from Slavic "raj" and the word for hell is
"iad" from slavic "jadU" ( I showed longer time here the regular
transformation of a word like "hades" > "iad")
soul is "suflet" and this is a Romanian creation ( the scholars suppose
here an latin *suflitus < sulfare)
grave is "gropã" and the "mormânt" (very controversial etymologic since
it suppose to derive from Latin monumentum)
cross is "cruce" from Latin "crucis" ( the word for initial meaning of
crucis is in Rom. sbstratual word "cracã")
cemetery is a recent one "cimitir" with variants as "Tintirim, Timitir".
The word id given by DEX as coming from Neogreek "kimitirion" or Italian
"cimitero"
Resurrection is a Romanian creation "înviere/îng'iere"
Ascension(Himmelfahrt) is a Rom. creation "înalTare"
Christmas is the balcanic one "Crãciun".
Eastern is "PaSte" and must derive fom something like "pascis"
holly is "sfânt" and it is given by DEX as from slavic "sventU"
sin is "pãcat" from Latin peccatum
priest is "popã" (sl. popU) or "pãrinte" ( lat parentis)
"prescure" (english =?) is the Slavic "proskura"
wafer "anafurã" is from slavic (a)nafora
holly water "agheasmã/aiasmã" is from Slavic agiazma
alms, charity "pomanã" is from Slavic pomEnU
to baptise " boteza" from Latin "battizare" < baptisare ( when appeared
the form "battizare" in Latin?, it should be interesant for the date of
"baptisation")
This is what I remembered for now. If you remember of something else,
feel free to ask.
Now to the actual months of the year, their etymology is too
interesting:
Ianurie ( Sl. ijanuarij), februarie ( lat. februarius), martie ( sl.
martiI), aprilie ( Sl. apriliI), mai ( either lat. maius or Slavic maI),
iunie (Sl. IjunI), iulie ( Sl. IjulI), august ( latl. augustus),
septembrie ( Neogreek. septemvrios), octombrie (Sl. oktovrii), noiembrie
( SL. nojenbrI,nojemvri), decembrie ( either Lat. decembris or french
decembre).
That is god, we have latin, slavic, neogreek and french here.I don't
know if you are interested in the old denomination for the months of the
year :
gerar (from "ger" > lat. "gelus") , fãurar ( unknown, probl. Lat
"febr(u)aris"), mãrTiSor( from marT, lat martis), prier (prob. lat
Aprilis), florar ( from "floare"< lat. floris +suff. -ar), cireSar( from
"cireaSã" < Lat. ceresia +suff. -ar), cuptor ( Lat. *coctorium), gustar
( from "gust" > Lat. augustus +suff. -ar), rãpciune ( unknown etym.),
brumãrel (from "brumar" < laT. bruma + suff. -ar+ suff. -el) , brumar
( from "bruma" < Lat. "bruma" + suff. -ar), undrea ( or andrea, unknown
etym)
Now the days of the week:
luni ( latin *lunis < lunae ), marTi ( Lat martis-dies), miercuri(lat.
mercuris-dies), joi (lat. Jovis-dies), vineri ( Lat. veneris-dies),
sâmbãtã (Slavic sonbota), duminicã ( Lat. dominica dies)
Hope this helps you a bit. As for myself I have a lot of question
regarding all this terminology
Alex