Are you familiar with this flourishing expression in native (university) slang, often accompanied by an edifying hand gesture? “”Olaie” – today also written in the form “o laie” -, with the meaning of “nothing”, is a term encountered, according to some researchers, in writing, for the first time, in our country, in the work of Geo Bogza. A widespread word, starting from the 40s, first in student circles (together with “lulu” and “cool”), it became a term used relatively often among young people during the communist period”, explained the ethnologist Gheorghiță Peep.
Interwar roots
In the bed of the subject: “The expression comes from modern Turkish where «olay» has the meaning of «event», «phenomenon» (al), «extraordinary» (and in the form «olağanüstü»). In some Turkish expressions with the meaning from us: «unbelievable» – in fact, a wonder, which shows that nothing happened / was done («mare scofala»/ «he made my mother»). And an assumption: “Most likely, “olay” was taken over by Romanians through frequent contacts between Romanian and Turkish students in the interwar period.”
Fire from women
From Turkic, a word with vino-‘ncoa: “nur”. Gheorghiță Ciocioi has the word: “It is about the charm of a woman, her grace, the quality to please, to become attractive (for a man). Plural: sons-in-law. It is a term entered into Romanian from the Turkic languages, being a loan from Arabic: «nūr» – «light», «shine» (from the root «nwr», also present in the word minaret – lighthouse, tower of light). Also found in Persian and Tajik. Related to the Aramaic word nūr/nūrā – «fire» (nūru/nīru has the same meaning in Akkadian). Nur = lumen [Codex Cumanicus, 1303]”.
Infiltration from the Persian side
Further, two names with forgotten meanings: “Bahcevan” and “Madgearu”. Let’s take them one by one: “Bahcevan is a common name, especially among Romanians from Bessarabia. Arrived in the Balkans and here on the Turkish channel. It is translated as “gardener”. “Bahçe”, in Turkish, means “garden” (Bahçesaray and Dolmabahçe include, as names, this term). Bahçıvan («gardener»), in Turkish, was taken from Persian, where «bāġçe-bān»/«baġçe-wān» has the meaning of «garden supervisor», «caretaker of the garden». The oldest mention in a Turkic language of the Persian name of the garden: bakča [Codex Cumanicus, 1303]”.
Wandering north of the Danube
What about Madgearu? Again, the ethnologist Gheorghiță Ciocioi: “It is a name known here mainly through the economist, sociologist and politician Virgil Madgearu (1887-1940). The name has nothing to do with Hungarian nationality, as it would seem at first sight, being a Turkish one (muhacir/maugir), reached us via the Bulgarian route (being carried south of the Danube mainly by Armenians, Greeks, Turks). Madgear/ Madjar(in), in Bulgarian, dialectal, translates as refugee, migrant, migrant. In Turkish, muhacir/muagir/moagir is a loanword from Arabic: muhācir. It comes from the Arabic root “hcr”, which means “migration”, “bathing”, “pilgrimage”.
“The Brandoșii”, a subjective history
And because the echoes of the “martyrs” have not died down yet, here is an honest story (Gheorghiță Ciocioi brand): “As in the adjacent image, the “martyrs” of my childhood in the north of Teleorman looked like. They were called “brandoși”, just like in the south of Argeș, part of Oltenia and part of Vlașca. A name that comes from Church Slavonic: «Bran» = war, fight (БРАН, бранта̀ – Война, бикла, бой, комбра); “showers” = people. So, military saints, soldiers – clearly expressing the name of the holiday”. In addition: “The holiday is also called, for short, “Saints”. In other parts of the country it is referred to as «machnici»/«martyrs» – also a term of Slavic origin (church) with the meaning of «passionate of torments» – from «macenie»/«мъчение» = torments, tortures, labors) “.
Pioneers and martyrs
That I still mentioned “martyrs”: “I don’t know who would have been the “director” with a traitorous soul, under communism, of the celebration of the holy 40 martyrs from Sevastia… At school, on March 9, the pioneers came prepared with a bold (“spilca”), stabbing each other: (“feel, feel!”), and the Utecists were already talking about the 40/44 glasses that should have been drunk that day. They still remembered the sanctity of the holiday only by the old women who distributed the warm cakes that represented the “martyrs”. And the wall calendar (even if in some years you sometimes saw here, in lame letters, a quote – related to peace between peoples – of the “beloved leader”, or a date “marked” about the party). Hidden in an attic, the lives of the saints – printed before the red plague by Iorgu Dumitrescu – would show me who the martyrs really were. From that moment I understood that there is Heaven. That March 9 is truly a holy day”.
Târca Church, linguistic incursion
Where did this church name come from (from Bucharest)? “It bears this name because mostly “cleaners of (animal) skins” lived in the neighborhood. They prepared the skins, cleaning and smoothing them (“tărka”), before they arrived at the tanneries (not far away, on Dâmbovița, is the church of Sf. Apostol from Tabaci). For the most part, the workers were from across the Danube – also forming the village of Dudesti-Cioplea in the immediate vicinity (gardeners and “vealers” alike) – hence the Bulgarian name of the occupation. The church (in) Târca was founded by the serdar Radu Poenaru in 1820. For some time, it has been under restoration”, reported Gheoghiță Ciocioi.
Similitudes
The terms church and mosque have essentially the same meanings. Gheorghiță Ciocioi: “Εκκλησία /ecclesia (gr./lat) = (place of) assembly, reunion, and gemia (cami) = assembly, reunion (derived from the Arabic root cmˁ, camˁ – «to gather», «to reunite») “.
Dobrogea – names and metropolitans
“Although it has been tried (not only here) that the origin of the name of Dobrogea can be found through various combinations of Slavic, Turkish and Tatar words, it is clearly emphasized in an Oğuzname from the 15th century, as well as by the Byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles (1430-1470): the “country” of Dobrotiță – Dobruca-eli; Δοβροτίκεω χώρα”, mentioned the ethnologist Gheorghiță Ciocioi in an attempt to elucidate the mystery related to the name of the territory between the Danube and the sea.
During the reign of Mircea
“The separation of the despotate of Dobrogea from the Romanian-Bulgarian tsarate of Târnovo (not only politically, but also from the point of view of ecclesiastical subordination) – the anthropologist followed – however begins from the time of Dobrotiță’s predecessor, Balic. During this time, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in 1325, will appoint Methodius as metropolitan of Varna and Carvuna (the last known Constantinopolitan hierarch in the land: Matthew – a century before the appointment of Methodius). In 1359, however, Dobrogea will remain – for a while – without a metropolitan, Iachint being moved first to Vicina, and from here to Curtea de Argeș. Soon, the land between the Danube and the sea would become part of Wallachia. After the reign of Mircea the Elder, metropolitans of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be registered in (southern) Dobrogea only after a century (Calist – 1483-1484)”.
“Bosoi”, famous Romanian name
What connotations does the patronymic Bosoi have? “It is a surname carried by several Romanians (but also Gypsies, Bulgarians, etc.), in Dobrogea, Muntenia, Moldova. Sometimes it is also known as Bosea. Originally a Slavic name, found in Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine. Its meaning: barefoot. The very name of the novel «Barefoot», by Zaharia Stancu, was translated into Russian as «Bosoi»”, concluded Gheorghiță Ciocioi.
“Olaie – today also written in the form «o laie» -, with the meaning of «nothing», is a term encountered, according to some researchers, in writing, for the first time, in our country, in the work of Geo Bogza.”, Gheorghiță Ciocioi , ethnologist
“Olaie/ o laie is a widespread construction, starting from the 40s, first in student circles (“bundled” with “lulu” and “cool”), Gheorghiță Ciocioi, ethnologist
“Most likely, “olay” was taken over by Romanians through frequent contacts between Romanian and Turkish students in the interwar period.”, Gheorghiță Ciocioi, ethnologist
“In other parts of the country it is designated by «măcinici»/”martyrs” – also a term of Slavic (church) origin with the meaning of “passionate of torments” – from “măcenie”/«мъчение” = torments, tortures, labors ), Gheorghiță Ciocioi, ethnologist
“Although it has been tried (not only in our country) that the origin of the name of Dobrogea can be found through various combinations of Slavic, Turkish and Tatar words, it is clearly emphasized in an Oğuzname from the 15th century.”, Gheorghiță Ciocioi , ethnologist
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