Sfâritul

Sfâritul is a term that appears in Romanian-language texts to denote the end or conclusion of a period, event, or process. In standard Romanian, the ordinary word for “the end” is sfârșitul, and sfâritul is therefore considered a nonstandard, variant, or archaic form that can be found in older manuscripts, regional dialects, or stylistic writing.

Etymologically, sfâritul derives from the root sfârș-, related to ending, with the definite article suffix -itul. The variation with the â vowel reflects historical or regional orthographic practices that predate full standardization of Romanian spelling.

Usage of sfâritul is rare in contemporary Romanian. When it does occur, it tends to appear in historical texts, religious manuscripts, poetic or stylistic writing to evoke an archaic or dialectal flavor. It may appear in constructions such as “sfâritul lumii” (the end of the world), but in standard spelling this is ordinarily written as “sfârșitul lumii.” As a linguistic variant, sfâritul highlights the fluidity of spelling before modern orthography was consolidated.

Culturally, the concept of an end is a common motif in folklore, theology, and narrative arts. As a linguistic variant, sfâritul serves mainly to convey an old-fashioned or regional tone rather than to introduce a distinct semantic category from sfârșitul.

See also: sfârșit, sfârșitul lumii, final, terminus. References to attested usages would typically be found in historical dictionaries or corpora documenting Romanian spelling variations.