> For starters, -e$te is an _adverb_, derived from the locative of
> Slavic adjectives in -IskU. The -esc suffix is probably also
> Slavic, though other Romance languages get the same suffix from
> Greek.
>
> Richard.
If Romanian -esc is borrowed from Sl. -IskU, then Rum. -e$te
is derived from Rum. -esc. In Romanian, -esc practically has
the same adjectival utilization as -isch in Germanic languages
and -esque in English but even more. The questions to
be put in order to get this kind of adjective is: "How (is it)?",
"What kind of?", "Which?". (Those substrate languages also
had -isk; this can be assumed based on the toponymic lists,
e.g. Transmarisca.)
It is frequent in onomastics (but only in Moldavia, Muntenia,
Oltenia and partially in Banat. Those Escus one meets North
and West of the Carpathian range have ancestors beyond
the range), although, stricto sensu, the suffix does not mean
"son of".
-e$te is the adverb corresponding to the adjective -esc.
A native-speaker won't mix them up - except for <firesc> and
<fireSte> (approx, "natural/ly, of course"). A highly common
pan-Romanian grammar and style error <firesc> in stead of
<fireSte> whenever it's meant to be an adverb (as though it
were the shortened locution <în mod firesc> "in a natural
way").
So:
masc/neutr & fem sing: românesc, -easca, masc/fem/neutr
plur: -e$ti "rumänisch"
româneSte "rumänisch" (as adverb)
(The adjective has more and more been replaced by its synonym
<român, -ã; -i, -e> esp. in the last 100-150 years or so.)
George