varf

Varf, written with diacritics as vârf, is a Romanian masculine noun meaning the highest point of a surface, especially the summit of a mountain. It is used in geography and mountaineering to designate the apex of a terrain and is common in toponyms such as Vârful Moldoveanu or Vârful Omu. In everyday language it can also refer to the tip of a non-geographic object, such as the varf of a needle.

Etymology and cognates: The Romanian vârf is of likely Slavic origin and is cognate with similar terms in neighboring languages that denote a peak or top, such as vrh in Serbo-Croatian and vrâh in other languages. The non-diacritic form varf appears in texts where diacritics are omitted or in simplified orthography.

Orthography and forms: The standard spelling uses the diacritic â as vârf; the definite form is vârful and the plural vârfuri. In non-diacritic texts the spellings varf, varful, and varfuri are commonly encountered, though they reflect the same word.

Notable examples: Vârful Moldoveanu is commonly cited as the highest peak in Romania, while Vârful Omu is another well-known peak in the Bucegi Mountains. The term also appears in climbing guides and geographic descriptions to denote summit locations.