angolul

Angolul is a term that sometimes appears in Romanian-language texts, but it is not a standard word in Romanian dictionaries. In formal or published Romanian, the English language is usually referred to as engleza, while a male English person is englezul, with capitalization used for proper names and demonyms. The form angolul can occur only as a nonstandard or playful usage, typically when a writer attempts to form a definite noun from a hypothetical stem angol- meaning “English.”

Etymology and formation: If it is used at all, angolul would follow the ordinary Romanian pattern of adding the definite article -ul to a masculine singular noun. The hypothetical root angol- could be imagined as related to the Anglo- prefix found in some loanwords (for example anglo- as in anglo-american or anglo-saxon), but this does not establish angolul as a recognized Romanian term. In other words, angolul is not derived from a living, attested Romanian noun and is largely restricted to informal or creative contexts.

Usage and interpretation: Because angolul is not standard, its meaning is unclear outside of the author’s intent. It may appear in jokes, memes, or bilingual passages where language play is deliberate. In formal writing, it is advisable to use engleza to denote the English language or englezul to denote a specific English person.

See also: Engleză, Anglo-, Anglophone, Anglia.