Republica Moldova

Romanian

Alternative forms

(post-1940s Cyrillic form)

Etymology

Possibly ultimately from Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (mulda, “dust, mud”); compare the river Mulde in Germany and Moldau, the German name of the river Vltava, which may be of related origin. A folk etymology, according to Dimitrie Cantemir, derives it from the name of the Moldova River, which was supposedly named by Prince Dragoș after his hound, Molda, who drowned in it while attempting to hunt an aurochs. Other attempts have been made to link it to molid (“spruce”), but the phonetic transition seems uncertain. The suffix -ova seems to be of Slavic origin.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [reˈpu.bli.ka molˈdo.va]

Proper noun

Republica Moldova f

Moldova (the country)

Declension

gender f	uncountable
Nom/Acc	Republica Moldova
Gen/Dat	Republicii Moldova

Synonyms

(country): Moldova

Derived terms

moldovean
moldovenesc
moldovenește