istorii

Istorii is a Romanian noun that functions as the plural form of istorie. It denotes histories or historical narratives—accounts of past events presented as organized texts. In scholarly writing, istorii often refers to systematic histories, while in literary or curatorial contexts it can mean historical narratives or compilations. The term appears in encyclopedias, museum catalogs, and academic discussions about the past.

Origin and cognates: istorie comes from Latin historia, via Greek historeia. The Romanian form shares a common root with Spanish historia, French histoire, Italian storia, and Portuguese história. The plural istorii reflects the same historical pluralization pattern found in related languages, signaling multiple histories rather than a single narrative.

Usage and nuance: phrases such as istorii universale (universal histories), istorii locale (local histories), or istorii personale (personal histories) appear in academic or cultural contexts. In everyday Romanian, the distinction between istorie (history as a discipline) and istorii (histories/narratives) guides word choice, while fictional narratives are more often labeled povestiri or relatări.

Notes: the plural istorii emphasizes multiplicity of past narratives. it is not commonly used to describe fictional stories; when fiction is intended, terms like povestiri or povești are preferred. As a term, istorii is informative and neutral, used across education, historiography, museums, and literary discussion to refer to organized accounts of the past.