Romanian: A Unique Romance Language Preserving Latin Grammar
Throughout history, Romanian has maintained certain unique characteristics that distinguish it from other Romance languages. Tracing its roots back to Vulgar Latin, Romanian has preserved many aspects of the Latin vernacular. This article explores how Romanian managed to retain Latin grammar while evolving as a distinct language.
The Influence of Latin on Romanian
Romanian, a Romance language, is the descendant of Vulgar Latin. However, unlike other Western Romance languages, Romanian has preserved many features of Latin grammar. This preservation is attributed to the language's geographical isolation and the influence of surrounding Slavic languages.
How Romanian Evolved Differently
The evolution of Romanian was significantly impacted by historical events, such as the Justinianic Reconquest and the Slavic invasion. During the Justinianic Reconquest, the early Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) enclosed the Balkans, but this did not seal Romanian's fate with the Eastern Latin speakers. Instead, the Slavic invasion and the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire further isolated Romanian from Western Romance languages, leading to a unique development path.
Distinctive Features of Romanian Grammar
Despite preserving some Latin grammar, Romanian is not a direct descendant of Classical Latin. For example, its verb conjugation system is simpler and more derived from Vulgar Latin than Classical Latin. However, Romanian retained some conservative features, and here we explore these further:
Case System and Articles
Romanian has retained certain aspects of the case system, particularly the genitive case of feminine nouns and articles. This retention is interesting, as Vulgar Latin was transitioning away from a fully inflected language and towards a more analytic structure. In Romanian's case, this preservation may be due to its isolation from other Romance languages, which were also undergoing changes.
Retention of the Neuter Gender
Another conservative feature of Romanian is the retention of the neuter gender. Unlike Classical Latin, which had three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter), Romanian uses a productive morphological construct to maintain a neuter-like function. The -uri ending, often found in masculine forms for abstract nouns or collective nouns like temporuri (time) or cieldruri (papers), is a notable example. This ending is less likely to be considered the neuter gender in modern Romanian but rather a pattern of plural formation.
Conclusion
While Romanian has retained certain Latin grammatical features, it has also undergone significant changes. Its distinct evolution, influenced by geographical isolation and the presence of surrounding Slavic languages, sets it apart as a unique Romance language. This preservation of certain Latin traits in Romanian showcases how different historical and linguistic factors can influence the development of a language over time.