piatra

Piatra, in Romanian, is the definite form of piatră and means stone or rock. It is used in everyday language as well as in geology, construction, and toponymy. The indefinite form is piatră, while piatra denotes “the stone” when the noun is used with the definite article suffix in Romanian.

Etymology and related terms: The Romanian word piatră derives from Latin petra and is related to the common Romance roots found in pietra (Italian), piedra (Spanish), pierre (French), and pedra (Portuguese). The Romanian form has developed its own phonetic path, but shares the same ancestral meaning of a solid mineral mass.

Uses and contexts: Piatră refers to naturally occurring solid material suitable for various applications, including building and sculpture. In modern Romanian, phrases such as piatră naturală (natural stone), piatră de râu (river stone), and piatră fasonată (cut or worked stone) are commonly used in geology and construction. The word also appears in idiomatic expressions and literature, where it can symbolize solidity, durability, or a test, as in forms like piatră de încercare or similar proverbial uses.

Toponymy and cultural presence: The motif of stone appears frequently in Romanian place names and landscapes. The term appears in toponyms that reflect the importance of rocky features in a region, such as mountains and stone structures. The word piatra thus functions both as a basic lexical item for a natural material and as a culturally resonant element in language and place names.