Is It 'Rumania' or 'Romania?' Part Two
Historically, the origin of the Vlachs has been tough to pin down and this is a subject far beyond the scope of this very basic article here. Modern DNA testing is shedding new light on many of the world's nationality and ethnic groups. Whatever the case, the Vlachs were a people who spoke, or came to speak, a Latin-based language in the general area of modern Rumania. The Vlachs got their name from the Germanic word that gave English the word "Welsh."*
The Magyars, a tribe, or more likely, a confederation of related tribes from Asia, came into that part of eastern Europe in the 800s A.D., where they eventually conquered and settled in the region. While they call themselves "Magyars," most other people know them now as the "Hungarians." The move of the Magyars into the region brought lots of conflict with other groups, including the Vlachs, and the Magyars took control of the area. Later the Turks gained control of much of the Balkans' area, including the Rumanian region, in the 1500s, but not before two principalities had emerged among the Rumanians, Wallachia and Moldavia. When the Turks took control, the Rumanian princes were allowed to rule their provinces to varying degrees over time, although the controlling princes had to pay the Turks (Ottomans) to do so, and those payments were taken from the people. Meanwhile in Transylvania, which had a large Rumanian population, a number of German settlers arrived during the 1100s at the invite of the king of Hungary, as that area was under Hungarian control, although later it too fell under Turkish rule. Initially these Germans were invited in to help secure the border areas, but continued German settlement took place in the 1200s, but more with the motivation of economic development. While most of these Germans came from various parts of the western Old German Empire (Holy Roman Empire), they came to be called "Transylvanian Saxons," and more Germans would come later. By the late 1600s, Transylvania came under the control of the Habsburgs of Austria, who also almost always were elected as German emperors, and who also gradually got control of the Hungarian lands.
The 1800s brought great change, as in the mid part of the century, Alexandru Cuza was chosen to lead Wallachia and and Moldavia. Transylvania remained under Austrian rule, soon to be Hungarian rule when the Austrian Empire was divided into "Austria-Hungary" (also known as the "Austro-Hungarian Empire"). Wallachia and Moldavia still remained under the overall rule of the Ottoman Empire, but this changed when Russia defeated the Turks in a war in the 1870s. In that war the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia allied with Russia, and the war's victorious conclusion brought independence for Rumania, by then led by Prince Carol, who then became King Carol I of the Kingdom of Rumania. King Carol was of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a noble family from southwestern Germany.
More will follow shortly...
* For more on the word "Welsh," this is the link to the article with that history: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2014/10/welsh-rarebit-or-is-it-rabbitt-great.html
The following were consulted for this article on Rumania: "Kingdoms of Europe" by Gene Gurney, published by Crown Publishers, Inc. NY 1982
"Romania/An Illustrated History" by Nicolae Klepper, published by Hippocrene Books, NY 2002
WORD HISTORY:
Rome-While "traditionally" the name has been said to come from "Romulus," the founder of the city, the actual base word "likely" is derived from Etruscan ^ "Ruma," a tribal element of the Etruscans, and the closely related "Rumon" was the Etruscan name for what later came to be called the "Tiberis River" (English: Tiber).
^ Etruscan is a mystery language, but it was "possibly" related to some languages of the Aegean Sea area, including "Minoan." Etruscan was spoken in a fairly large part of what is now Italy, but it eventually died out when Latin came to the area, although some of its words were borrowed into Latin.
The Magyars, a tribe, or more likely, a confederation of related tribes from Asia, came into that part of eastern Europe in the 800s A.D., where they eventually conquered and settled in the region. While they call themselves "Magyars," most other people know them now as the "Hungarians." The move of the Magyars into the region brought lots of conflict with other groups, including the Vlachs, and the Magyars took control of the area. Later the Turks gained control of much of the Balkans' area, including the Rumanian region, in the 1500s, but not before two principalities had emerged among the Rumanians, Wallachia and Moldavia. When the Turks took control, the Rumanian princes were allowed to rule their provinces to varying degrees over time, although the controlling princes had to pay the Turks (Ottomans) to do so, and those payments were taken from the people. Meanwhile in Transylvania, which had a large Rumanian population, a number of German settlers arrived during the 1100s at the invite of the king of Hungary, as that area was under Hungarian control, although later it too fell under Turkish rule. Initially these Germans were invited in to help secure the border areas, but continued German settlement took place in the 1200s, but more with the motivation of economic development. While most of these Germans came from various parts of the western Old German Empire (Holy Roman Empire), they came to be called "Transylvanian Saxons," and more Germans would come later. By the late 1600s, Transylvania came under the control of the Habsburgs of Austria, who also almost always were elected as German emperors, and who also gradually got control of the Hungarian lands.
The 1800s brought great change, as in the mid part of the century, Alexandru Cuza was chosen to lead Wallachia and and Moldavia. Transylvania remained under Austrian rule, soon to be Hungarian rule when the Austrian Empire was divided into "Austria-Hungary" (also known as the "Austro-Hungarian Empire"). Wallachia and Moldavia still remained under the overall rule of the Ottoman Empire, but this changed when Russia defeated the Turks in a war in the 1870s. In that war the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia allied with Russia, and the war's victorious conclusion brought independence for Rumania, by then led by Prince Carol, who then became King Carol I of the Kingdom of Rumania. King Carol was of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a noble family from southwestern Germany.
More will follow shortly...
* For more on the word "Welsh," this is the link to the article with that history: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2014/10/welsh-rarebit-or-is-it-rabbitt-great.html
The following were consulted for this article on Rumania: "Kingdoms of Europe" by Gene Gurney, published by Crown Publishers, Inc. NY 1982
"Romania/An Illustrated History" by Nicolae Klepper, published by Hippocrene Books, NY 2002
WORD HISTORY:
Rome-While "traditionally" the name has been said to come from "Romulus," the founder of the city, the actual base word "likely" is derived from Etruscan ^ "Ruma," a tribal element of the Etruscans, and the closely related "Rumon" was the Etruscan name for what later came to be called the "Tiberis River" (English: Tiber).
^ Etruscan is a mystery language, but it was "possibly" related to some languages of the Aegean Sea area, including "Minoan." Etruscan was spoken in a fairly large part of what is now Italy, but it eventually died out when Latin came to the area, although some of its words were borrowed into Latin.
Labels: English, Etruscan, etymology, Hungarians, Latin, Magyars, Ottoman Empire, Romania, Rumania, Rumanian language, Transylvania, Transylvanian Saxons, Vlachs
posted by Randy at 9:20 PM
1 Comments:
You see, I think that the word "Roman" came from the derivative of "rho" - sweet smell. As in "Rose" - a sweet smelling flower, and "aroma" - "to have a sweet smell". If you look at Roma, Romans, that I believe is why their color is red. Hence the phrase, "to come up roses" means to be victorious. The association with rho, rose, Roma, aroma, etc.
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