moldauische

Moldauische is a German adjective and, less commonly, a noun, used to designate Moldova (the country), the historical region Moldavia, or things connected with that area. In contemporary German, the usual demonym for a person from Moldova is Moldauer (plural Moldauer, Moldauerinnen), while the corresponding adjective is moldauisch. The term can also appear in older or literary texts to refer to Moldavian culture, language, or geography.

Geographically and historically, Moldau/Moldavia refers to the region around Moldova, spanning parts of present‑day Moldova and Romania. The medieval Principality of Moldavia played a major role in East European history. In the 20th century the area was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Moldavische SSR (Moldavian SSR). Since 1991 the independent state Moldova exists, with cultural and historical links to Romania.

Language-wise, the official language of Moldova is Romanian; during Soviet times some contexts used Moldovan as a separate designation, but linguists generally treat Moldovan as Romanian. Thus moldauisch as a linguistic label is usually found in historical or political contexts rather than in contemporary everyday usage.

Ambiguity can arise because Moldau is also the German name for the river Moldau (Vltava) in Bohemia; in such cases disambiguation is required. In modern German writing, Moldauer/Moldauerin and Rumänisch are preferred for people and language, while moldauisch remains mainly a historical or regional descriptor.