From Histria to your pocket: the Greek words hidden in Romanian

Because I was born in Romania, I often hear this remark: “Greek must be such a hard language to learn.”

And yet, every time I hear it, I smile. Because for me — it isn’t.

Not just because I’ve fallen in love with its rhythm, but because so many of its sounds and words have been quietly living in my native tongue, Romanian, all along. The funny side of it, is that even Romanians don't realise it.

Romanians and Greeks have been neighbours for more than two thousand years. Long before borders and passports, they shared the same sea, the same light, the same trade routes — and, eventually, the same words.

A short journey through time

As early as the 7th century BC, Greeks founded colonies along the Black Sea coast — Histria, Tomis (today’s Constanța), and Callatis (Mangalia). Centuries later, when Rome conquered Greece, the entire Mediterranean world became greco-roman, and that echo reached deep into Dacia.

From those early days and well into the Byzantine and Phanariot periods, Greek words, ideas, and ways of life quietly shaped Romanian culture.

Everyday Greek in Romanian speech

Here are some words we still use today — almost unchanged. And of course, the world of science, art, and medicine still speaks fluent Greek:

• Folos – ὄφελος (ófelos)

• Prisos – περισσός (perissós)

• Tacticos – τακτικός (taktikós)

• Trandafir – τριαντάφυλλο (triantáfyllo)

• Papuci – παπούτσι (papoútsi)

• Balcon – μπαλκόνι (mpalkóni)

• Buzunar – βουζουνάριον (vouzounárion)

• Agale – σιγά-σιγά (sigá-sigá)

• Anapoda – ανάποδα (anápo̱da)

• Anost – άνοστος (ánostos)

• Mătase – μετάξι (metáxi)

• Scandal – σκάνδαλον (skándalon)

• Cărămidă – κεραμίδι (keramídi)

• Fasole – φασόλι (fasóli)

• Cimitir – κοιμητήριον (kimitírion)

• Icoană – εἰκών (eikón)

• Livadă – λιβάδι (livádi)

• Crin – κρίνον (krínon)

• Chiparos – κυπάρισσος (kypárissos)

• Despot – δεσπότης (despótis)

• Temei – θεμέλιον (themélion)

• Farmec – φαρμακεία (pharmakeía)

• Erou – ἥρως (hḗrōs)

• Paranghelie – παραγγελιά (parangeliá)

• Anatomie – ἀνατομία (anatomía)

• Terapie – θεραπεία (therapeía)

• Clinică – κλινική (klinikí)

• Psihologie – ψυχή (psychḗ) + λόγος (lógos)

• Filozofie – φιλοσοφία (philosophía)

• Democrație – δημοκρατία (dēmokratía)

• Fotografie – φῶς (phōs) + γραφή (graphḗ)

• Școală – σχολή (scholḗ)

• Teatru – θέατρον (théatron)

• Muzică – μουσική (mousikḗ)

• Idee – ἰδέα (idéa)

• Problemă - πρόβλημα (próvlima)

• Familie - φαμιλιά (familía)

  
  

A living mosaic of words

Nearly 10% of Romanian vocabulary has Greek roots.

From ancient colonies to Byzantine liturgy and modern-day expressions, these words have travelled, transformed, and quietly settled into daily life.

So next time you step out on your balcon in your papuci, sipping your morning cafea, remember — you’re speaking a language that carries echoes of millennia.

Romanian may be Latin in its bones, but it’s deeply Greek in spirit.

Which word sounds most familiar to you — in both languages?

#LanguageRoots #GreekCulture #Etimology #RomaniaMeetsGreece #OramaOikos