timpurii

Timpurii is a Romanian noun phrase that translates to “the times” and functions as the definite plural form of timp (time). It is used in literary and historical writing to refer to particular eras or periods, often with emphasis on the characteristics or changes associated with those times.

In standard contemporary Romanian, the more common definite plural for timp is timpurile. Timpurii appears mainly in older texts, poetic or stylistic usage, and in some dialectal or archaic forms. Because of this, timpurii is often encountered as a historical or literary variant rather than a daily-argued form in modern prose.

Etymology and morphology: timp derives from Latin tempus, and Romanian noun inflections attach a definite plural ending to signal “the times.” The form timpurii reflects historical morpho-syntactic variation; in many modern contexts timpurile is preferred for the definite plural, whereas timpurii may appear for stylistic effect.

Usage and nuance: timpurii conveys a sense of a broad, collective notion of time spanning notable epochs, periods of social change, or culturally distinct eras. It can be used metaphorically to contrast different sets of circumstances across multiple times, or to evoke a sense of nostalgia or historical depth in a discussion about society, culture, or politics.

See also: timp, timpuri, timpurile, istorie, etape, epocă.

Note: For most contemporary writing, timpurile is the standard definite plural form; timpurii remains primarily a literary or historical variant.