Romanian

A language of Romania

ISO 639-3

ron

Alternate Names

Daco-Rumanian, Moldavian, Roumanian, Rumanian

Autonym

Limba română, româneşte‎

Population

18,700,000 (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 23,425,940.

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps

Ukraine

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2003, Constitution, Article 13).

Classification

Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Eastern

Dialects

Moldavian, Muntenian (Walachian), Transylvanian, Banat, Bayash. Little dialect variation. Bayash are Roma whose dialect is based on Banat, but influenced by Balkan Romani [rmn] and Hungarian [hun]. Lexical similarity: 77% with Italian [ita], 75% with French [fra], 74% with Sardinian [sdn], 73% with Catalan [cat], 72% with Portuguese [por] and Romansh [roh], 71% with Spanish [spa].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; gender (masculine/feminine/ambigeneric); indefinite article and definite article suffix; case-marking (2 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; 22 consonants, 7 vowels, 3 diphthongs; non-tonal; free stress.

Language Use

Some also use English [eng] (European Commission 2006), French [fra] (European Commission 2006).

Language Development

Fully developed. Bible: 1688–1989.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Romanian

Writing

Braille script [Brai]. Cyrillic script [Cyrl], official usage in Moldova until 1991. Latin script [Latn], primary usage.

Other Comments

Christian.

Also spoken in:

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Hungary

Language nameRomanian

Population Full

13,900 (2011 census). Ethnic population: 26,300 (2011 census).

Location

Bács-Kiskun, Békés, Budapest, and Csongrád counties.

Alternate Names

Daco-Romanian, Limba română, Româneşte, Rumanian

Dialects

Boyash Romanian.

Status

4 (Educational).

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Substantial literature.

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Israel

Language nameRomanian

Population Full

250,000 (1993 Statistical Abstract of Israel).

Location

HaMerkaz district.

Alternate Names

Română

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Also use Hebrew [heb].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Jewish.

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Moldova

Language nameRomanian

Population Full

2,180,000 (2014 census). 1,540,000 Moldavian and 640,000 Romanian (2014 census). Ethnic population: 2,260,000 (2014 census). 2,070,000 Moldovan and 193,000 Romanian (2014 census).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Moldovan, Română, Roumanian, Rumanian

Dialects

Muntenian (Muntean, Walachian), Banat, Bayash, Chrishana, Maramuresh, Oltenia-Lesser Wallachia (Oltean).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2013, Constitutional Court, Jts. 8b and 41b).

Language Use

Many Gypsies in Moldova and southern Ukraine speak Romanian dialect as L1. Most also use Russian [rus].

Other Comments

Christian.

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Serbia

Language nameRomanian

Population Full

29,100 (2013 UNSD).

Location

South Backa district: Timoc valley.

Alternate Names

Daco-Rumanian, Română, Rumanian

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Autonomous Province Vodjvodina (2009, Autonomous Province Vodjvodina Statute, Article 26).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Ukraine

Language nameRomanian

Population Full

328,000 (2003 UNSD). Ethnic population: 410,000 (2001 census). 151,000 ethnic Moldovians, 257,000 ethnic Romanians.

Location

Chernivtsi region, at northern Romania border; Odessa region, south of Moldova, Renijs’kyj district, 2 enclaves near border.

Alternate Names

Daco-Romanian, Moldavian, Română, Rumanian

Status

5 (Dispersed). Recognized language (Law, Status of Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine, Article 1(5)).

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Ethnologue

Romanian

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A language of Romania

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