Turkisms in Romanian¶
Type: Linguistic concept
Language contact: Turkish → Romanian
Date Compiled: 2026-04-12
Definition¶
Turkish loanwords in Romanian. Distinct from Greek borrowings but often confused with them in Romanian linguistic consciousness. The two layers overlapped geographically and chronologically in the Ottoman period, making attribution difficult.
Key Scholars¶
- Kostas Kazazis — studied Turkisms in Balkan languages (cited in Sapovici)
- Romanian linguistic tradition often conflates Greek and Turkish origins
Relationship to Greek Borrowings¶
Many words attributed to Greek origin may actually be Turkish loanwords that passed through Greek first. The distinction matters for understanding the Phanariot period's linguistic landscape:
- Greek was the administrative language
- Turkish was the political overlord language
- Romanian speakers borrowed from both, often without distinguishing origin