Article by Oana Iosifidis
In previous articles, you have found out that Romanian is spoken in Romania, and also in Moldova. This is a bonus: if you take Romanian language lessons, you will be able to communicate with people from Romania and Moldova also. Let’s find out together how this is possible and what is the connection between these two languages!
Romanians and Moldovans share many things. We are talking about origins, traditions, and customs, especially language. If you speak Romanian already, and you travel to Moldova, you might notice a typical regional accent, and also that sometimes people use some Russian words in their conversation.
Before continuing this article, we must draw attention to one thing: Moldovan, the language spoken in Moldova, should not be confused with Moldavian speech. We are talking about Romanian dialects and sub-dialects, and this one is called Dacoroman. This dialect is found in the historical region of Moldova and is spoken in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. Therefore, some words that you hear in the Republic of Moldova will also be found in the region of Romania located on the border with this country. Many of these will be classified as archaisms or even regionalisms.
I also told you about the dialects of the Romanian language in this article (https://romanianonline.com/what-language-is-spoken-in-moldova/). Each dialect has certain characteristics that make them easy to recognize and locate, especially since they correspond to the geographical areas of Romania. Walking through this country, your ears will be delighted with the different forms of the Romanian language. Don’t worry – you will understand everything that will be said to you!
Returning to Moldovan and Romanian, you will feel the main difference between the two languages at the speaking part. If the correct form is observed in writing, the characteristics of this language will be felt in oral speech. The easiest to notice will be at the level of the consonants ș, ț, and j, where the pronunciation will be different and, most often, the plural form of the nouns will be forgotten. For example, și, zeama, and munți will become șî, zamî, and munț. Moreover, this Moldavian dialect is found in the territory of Romania, especially in the Romanian province of Moldova, in the countryside.
The official state language of Moldova is Romanian. It is the native language of 82.2% of the population. Also, it is spoken as a primary language by other ethnic minorities. If we are to analyze the spoken component, this language may be very similar to Moldovan speech, but it has many differences in vocabulary. But how did these differences arise? Due to influences from the Russian language, but also Ukrainian (even if less), the Romanian language spoken in the Republic of Moldova has transformed and is easy to notice. In addition, the separation from Romania caused many of the words used in the Republic of Moldova to acquire the status of archaisms or regionalisms on the Romanian territory.
In addition to Romanian, you will also meet the Gagauz, Russian and Ukrainian languages in the Republic of Moldova. They are granted official regional status in Gagauzia and/or Transnistria. They also left their mark on the Romanian spoken in the Republic. So you should not be surprised that you will also hear words in Russian slipped into the conversations of Moldovans.
What other languages do they speak in Moldova?
In the 2004 census, 2,564,542 people (75.8% of the population of the country) declared their native language as “Moldovan” or “Romanian”, and 2,495,977 (73.8%) speak it as their first language in daily use. Apart from being the first language of use for 94.5% of ethnic Moldovans and 97.6% of ethnic Romanians, the language is also spoken as primary by 5.8% of ethnic Russians, 7.7% of ethnic Ukrainians, 2.3% of ethnic Gagauz, 8.7% of ethnic Bulgarians, and 14.4% of other ethnic minorities.
The official minority languages are Russian, Gagauz, and Ukrainian.
Russian is one of the minority languages recognized in Moldova. Since Soviet times, it is widely used on many levels of society, Moldovan – Russian bilingualism being quite common. Russia was granted official status in Gagauzia, as well as Gagauz. Ukrainian has co-official status in localities with a significant Ukrainian population and Transnistria. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is among the languages recognized as official.
So, if you arrive in the Republic of Moldova, you will hear Romanian, Moldovan, Ukrainian and Russian words. Most people declare that they use Romanian daily as their first language of communication. How are things in the biggest cities in the Republic of Moldova? What to expect if you choose to visit them? Well, both Russian and Romanian are spoken in Chisinau. Businessmen, sellers, and merchants use Russian when they communicate with each other or with foreigners. If you’ll go through the food markets, you will hear Romanian being spoken. The closer you get to the countryside, the more Romanian words will creep into the locals’ conversations. Certainly, you will always understand what is being said around you and, with the help of the knowledge acquired in the online Romanian language courses, you will be able to converse both with those from Romania and with the inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova.
Was the national language of Moldova always Romanian?
In 1989, the state language law of the former Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic declared Moldovan as the sole state language. Written in Latin script, the language was to be used in all communications among the citizens of the country.
The law recognizes a common Moldovan-Romanian language identity.
At the same time, you will be surprised to learn that even the alphabet was, and still is quite a controversial topic. To the right of the Dniester, the Moldovan language will be written using the Latin alphabet, while the one on the left side will use Cyrillic letters. Before 1989, Moldova used the Cyrillic Alphabet for writing the language, which was, at the time, not different from standard Romanian. In some parts of Moldova, the separatist Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the old script is still used in schools and on street signs. Even after shifting to Latin Alphabet, some Moldovan officials insisted that the official language is different from Romanian.
When did Romanian become the official language of Moldova?
In 1991, in the Declaration of Independence of Moldova, Romanian was named the official language.
In 1994, the Academy of Sciences of Moldova confirms that the correct name of the language was Romanian, and not Moldovan.
The Moldovan Constitution of 1994, though, states that “the national language of the Republic of Moldova is Moldovan, and its writing is based on the Latin Alphabet”.
Only later, in 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the Declaration of Independence takes precedence over the Constitution, and the official state language of Moldova should be called Romanian.
Most linguists find literary Romanian and Moldovan to be identical, although the name “Moldovan” is used in certain political contexts. In 2013, the Communist government adopted a political resolution that stated also the preservation of the Moldovan language as a priority. Even on the internet, things have changed. The official pages of the public administrations need to have the information written in the Moldovan language, but also Russian. There are, however, some sites that offer the information in Romanian that you also learn in our online courses. Many people believe that the controversial topic related to the Moldovan/Romanian relationship varies according to current political beliefs.
Since 1991 and the Declaration of Independence, the Romanian language and literature have been taught in schools. Meanwhile, Romanian has become the official language of instruction in primary, secondary, and high school education.
In conclusion, we could say that the language spoken in the Republic of Moldova is a topic worth debating. You can do this either at our online courses or with the locals if you arrive in Romanian or Moldovan territories. You must remember, however, that if you know words in Romanian, you will certainly be able to have endless conversations in the Republic of Moldova! Russian or Ukrainian notions will creep in, but nothing that will give you a headache or prevent you from understanding the context of the discussion.
If you want to start the Romanian language lessons…
If you are planning to start learning Romanian, now it is easier than ever. The pandemic had its benefits.
It has forced us all to organize and use the gift of technology, so now you have access to Romanian native teachers, from the comfort of your home. This can save you a lot of time also and gives you access to modern learning methods, that will support you and speed up the process.
Romanian is not hard. Maybe you can even learn it by yourself. But the access to a teacher and native speakers, to exercise your pronunciation, will make it so much easier and entertaining.
If, in the past, you could say: “I cannot find Romanian classes near me!”, now you have no excuse. You can find Romanian classes online, and start learning, in your rhythm.
I hope you found the article interesting. Feel free to browse the site for more articles about the Romanian language and Romania.