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photo source: Radio Chişinău
Posted by: Alina Zlatov
News / Social
31 Aug. 2022 / 13:00
Radio Moldova: The Romanian language, marginalised and persecuted on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, for almost two centuries
The Romanian language, celebrated today, was marginalised and persecuted on the territory of the Republic of Moldova for almost two centuries. Practically banned after the annexation of Bessarabia to the Tsarist Empire, it regained its status after the union with Romania, but returned to the background with the formation of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. It regained its rights with the national liberation movements of the late 80s of the last century, but its status is contested even today. Radio Moldova makes a short foray into the history of the Romanian language on the territory of our country in the last 200 years.
In 1812, when the Russian Empire annexed Bessarabia, over 95% of the region's population was Romanian, and Romanian was accepted as the official language in Bessarabian institutions, alongside Russian.
But gradually, over the next 100 years, the linguistic situation in Bessarabia evolved from bilingualism to the imposition of a single official language, Russian. Thus, during the century, the use of the Romanian language in the administration was prohibited. In 1866-1871, the study of the Romanian language was suspended in schools in Bessarabia" because "local languages are not studied in the Russian Empire". After this period, the Romanian language was used only in the family and among friends.
The period 1905–1917 is considered as one of increasing linguistic conflicts, which appeared once the reawakening of the Romanian national consciousness. In 1905 and 1906 the zemstves, i.e. the Bessarabian local authorities, demanded the reintroduction of the Romanian language as a "compulsory language of study" and the "freedom to study in the mother tongue (Romanian)". During this period, the first Romanian language newspapers began to appear, and later the use of the Romanian language in the church was allowed.
The Moldavian language was a particular invention of these times, for the cultural separation of Bessarabia from Romania. After the union of Bessarabia with Romania in 1918, the communist authorities created the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on the left of the Dniester where they promoted Moldovanism and, respectively, the Moldavian language in the Cyrillic script. Then a "grammar of the Moldavian language" was elaborated, which contained many words borrowed from Russian or invented, such as "gâtlegău" for tie, mancătoare (living room), amuvremnic (contemporary).
A similar policy was carried out after 1940 also on the right side of the Dniester. The native population was encouraged to learn the Russian language as a mandatory prerequisite for access to higher education, to a higher social and political status. All these actions led to the proliferation of Russian linguistic borrowings in the language of the natives.
It was only on August 31, 1989, after the first Great National Assembly, that the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR published the law "on the return of the Moldovan language to the Latin script", which entered into force on September 1 of the same year.
With the declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova in 1991, the Romanian language was proclaimed the official language, along with other official symbols of Romanian inspiration: the national anthem Wake up, Romanians!, the blue-yellow-red tricolour flag, the national coat of arms. The Constitution of 1994, however, established the return to the official name from the Soviet period - "Moldovan language".
The official name of the state language has been one of the topics that has caused debates in society during the last almost 3 decades. Even if, on December 5, 2013, the Constitutional Court decided that the Declaration of Independence, which refers to the Romanian language, is part of the Constitution and prevails over the text of the Constitution, the subject remains one of dispute, and the Court's decision is not executed by all public authorities.
But gradually, over the next 100 years, the linguistic situation in Bessarabia evolved from bilingualism to the imposition of a single official language, Russian. Thus, during the century, the use of the Romanian language in the administration was prohibited. In 1866-1871, the study of the Romanian language was suspended in schools in Bessarabia" because "local languages are not studied in the Russian Empire". After this period, the Romanian language was used only in the family and among friends.
The period 1905–1917 is considered as one of increasing linguistic conflicts, which appeared once the reawakening of the Romanian national consciousness. In 1905 and 1906 the zemstves, i.e. the Bessarabian local authorities, demanded the reintroduction of the Romanian language as a "compulsory language of study" and the "freedom to study in the mother tongue (Romanian)". During this period, the first Romanian language newspapers began to appear, and later the use of the Romanian language in the church was allowed.
The Moldavian language was a particular invention of these times, for the cultural separation of Bessarabia from Romania. After the union of Bessarabia with Romania in 1918, the communist authorities created the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on the left of the Dniester where they promoted Moldovanism and, respectively, the Moldavian language in the Cyrillic script. Then a "grammar of the Moldavian language" was elaborated, which contained many words borrowed from Russian or invented, such as "gâtlegău" for tie, mancătoare (living room), amuvremnic (contemporary).
A similar policy was carried out after 1940 also on the right side of the Dniester. The native population was encouraged to learn the Russian language as a mandatory prerequisite for access to higher education, to a higher social and political status. All these actions led to the proliferation of Russian linguistic borrowings in the language of the natives.
It was only on August 31, 1989, after the first Great National Assembly, that the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR published the law "on the return of the Moldovan language to the Latin script", which entered into force on September 1 of the same year.
With the declaration of independence of the Republic of Moldova in 1991, the Romanian language was proclaimed the official language, along with other official symbols of Romanian inspiration: the national anthem Wake up, Romanians!, the blue-yellow-red tricolour flag, the national coat of arms. The Constitution of 1994, however, established the return to the official name from the Soviet period - "Moldovan language".
The official name of the state language has been one of the topics that has caused debates in society during the last almost 3 decades. Even if, on December 5, 2013, the Constitutional Court decided that the Declaration of Independence, which refers to the Romanian language, is part of the Constitution and prevails over the text of the Constitution, the subject remains one of dispute, and the Court's decision is not executed by all public authorities.
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