All in all, Romanian uses an enclitic definite article, placed at the noun’s end, unlike other Romance languages.

Example:

• “Băiat” (boy) becomes “Băiatul” (the boy), by adding the article “-ul” at the end.
• In Spanish or Italian, the article appears before the noun: “El niño” (sp.) or “Il ragazzo” (it.).

Why it’s interesting:

As a result, the definite article system in Romanian is unique among Romance languages, resembling structures in Balkan languages like Albanian and Bulgarian. This is one of the linguistic features that makes Romanian special.

3. Irregular plural and plural formation

Moreover, plural formation in Romanian can be complex and differs from other Romance languages, which follow clearer and more uniform rules. While Spanish and Italian usually add an “-s” or “-i” to form the plural, Romanian has several plural patterns, including irregular forms.

Example:

• “Copil” ( Child) becomes ” Copii” (Children)
• “Floare” (Flower) becomes “Flori” (Flowers)

In French, the plural is usually uniform, adding only “-s” (ex: “enfant” → “enfants” for children).

Why it’s interesting:

At this point, Romanian’s irregular plurals and grammar reflect a complex evolution, shaped by language contact and preserved Latin features.

4. Borrowed vocabularies: a mix of influences

By all means, the Romanian language is distinguished by its significant borrowing of words from other languages. Moreover, it has especially incorporated terms from Slavic languages, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, and, more recently, French and English. In contrast, most other Romance languages have been less exposed to such diverse influences.

Example:

• “Geam” (window) comes from Turkish.
• “Papuc” (slipper) comes from Turkish.
• “Prăvălie” (shop) comes from the Greek.

In contrast, Spanish or Italian vocabulary is mostly derived from Latin, with some Arabic borrowings in Spanish and German in Italian, but not as diverse as in Romanian.

Why it’s interesting:

As can be seen, this lexical diversity reflects the tumultuous history of the region and the cultural interactions that have shaped the Romanian language over time. Even more, each lexical loan adds a new cultural and historical nuance to the language.

5. Preservation of some archaic forms from Latin

Although all Romance languages ​​trace their origins to Latin, Romanian has retained more archaic forms and grammatical structures from Latin than its Western sisters. Equally important, this makes it considered by many linguists as one of the most “conservative” Romance languages.

Example:

• The use of “mâinii” ( the hand) comes from the Latin “manus”, keeping the archaic genitive form.
• The use of “îmi” (to me) is similar to reflexive structures in Classical Latin.

In comparison, French and Italian have undergone greater transformations of the original Latin, losing much of the old grammatical forms.

Why it’s interesting:

The preservation of these old forms makes the Romanian language a window to the past, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of the Romance languages.

6. Verbs and conjugations: irregularities and proper rules

Although all Romance languages ​​have complex conjugations, Romanian stands out for its conjugations, which include specific verb forms and irregular exceptions. In addition, Romanian retains the subjunctive more frequently than other Romance languages, such as Italian or Spanish.

Example:

“Să merg” (I should go) is a frequently used subjunctive form in Romanian.

In French or Italian, the subjunctive is used less often in everyday conversation and is considered more literary.

Why it’s interesting:

The subjunctive in Romanian adds additional depth to the language, offering a wide range of ways to express wishes, possibilities, and doubts.

7. The case system: the inheritance of Latin declensions

Another distinct aspect of the Romanian language is the case system, which has been preserved in a simplified form compared to classical Latin. Romanian has four grammatical cases (nominative, accusative, genitive and dative), while most other Romance languages ​​have completely lost the Latin declensions.

Example: 

“Lui Ion” (to Ion) is the dative, used to express possession or direction.

French, Spanish, and Italian have not kept cases and rely on prepositions to express the same functions.

Why it’s interesting:

This case system preserved in Romanian is a rare example of direct inheritance from Latin and a major differentiation from other Romance languages.

Romanian is a fascinating language that combines Latin influences with a variety of loanwords and grammatical peculiarities that make it unique among Romance languages. From the enclitic definite article to the case system and Slavic influences, Romanian offers an interesting perspective on the evolution of Latin languages ​​in a different cultural and geographical context. This combination of Latin tradition and Balkan innovation makes Romanian a unique and fascinating language for everyone