Româna

Româna, known in its own language as limba română, is an Eastern Romance language spoken mainly in Romania and Moldova. It is the official language of Romania and one of the official languages of Moldova, where it is generally referred to as limba română; in some contexts historical or political usage has used the term Moldovan. The name Româna reflects its identity as the language of the Romanian people.

Classification and history: Româna derives from Vulgar Latin and developed under Balkan linguistic influence in the post-Roman period. It forms part of the Eastern Romance subgroup and is closely related to other Romance languages, while remaining a distinct language in its own right. The modern standard language emerged from the Daco-Romanian-speaking areas of Wallachia and Moldavia, with codification in the 18th and 19th centuries during national and cultural revival movements. It shares a common heritage with related Balkan Romance varieties but is not mutually intelligible with them to the same extent as with other Romance languages such as Italian or French.

Geographic distribution and status: Romania has the largest population of Româna speakers. In Moldova, Româna is the state language in practice, with the terminology Moldovan appearing in some legal and historical contexts. Smaller communities of Româna speakers are established in Ukraine, Serbia, Hungary, and extensive diaspora communities in Europe, North America, and beyond. The language is transmitted through education, media, literature, and public life.

Dialects and writing system: The language has several dialect groups, with standard Romanian based largely on the Wallachian and Moldavian varieties. It is written in the Latin alphabet, using diacritics such as ă, â, î, ș, and ț to represent distinct sounds. The orthography is regulated by national linguistic authorities in each country.

Modern usage: Româna exhibits a rich literary and cultural tradition, ongoing development in science and technology terminology, and broad use across education, media, and government in Romania and Moldova.