Where does “piață” come from?

From Italian piazza (DEX '09). Further back: partly through Modern Greek (DER), and piazza from Lat. platea ← Greek plateia (Treccani; Scriban, 1939).

Is “târg” Slavic?

Yes: it comes from Old Slavonic trŭgŭ (DEX '09; MDA2). And it names more than the trading place: the deal and the town answered to târg too.

Why does “iarmaroc” look like Jahrmarkt?

Because that is where it comes from: German Jahrmarkt — Jahr (year) + Markt (market), the annual fair — through Ukr. jarmarok (DEX '09; CADE; DER).

Does “bazar” come from Persian or Turkish?

It depends on the form. The modern bazar comes from French (DEX '09), with Persian further back (DER); the old pazar entered straight from Turkish (DER). Two Romanian forms, two routes.

What did “obor” mean before the district?

A cattle pen: “1. A fenced cattle pen. – 2. A cattle fair.” (DER) From Bg., Serb. obor ← Slavonic obora. The fishing obor is another word.

Where does “talcioc” come from?

From Russian tolciok (DEX '09): the flea market. The record MDA2 cites is in Călinescu — the most recently cited record of the seven.

What does “a scoate la mezat” mean?

To put up for auction: “a public sale (of a debtor's goods)” (DEX '09). Mezat comes from Turk. mezat ← Arab. mezad (Scriban) — and it is a sale, not a place.

SEVEN WORDS, SEVEN ROUTES

How many languages fit in a Romanian market?

Seven trade words — piață, târg, iarmaroc, bazar, obor, talcioc and mezat — reached Romanian by seven linguistic routes: Italian, Old Slavonic, Ukrainian, French, Bulgarian and Serbian, Russian and Turkish. Each is a borrowing between languages — with its dictionary below.

See what the dictionaries say

7 WORDS: seven routes into Romanian
1224 → 1368: from the Saxon privileges to the Brașov charter
TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS: the cattle fair at Câmpul Moșilor, after a 1934 Bucharest guide

The waking market

At the stall Russian 7 of 7

târg
from Old Slavonic trŭgŭ
recorded in the Voroneț Codex
obor
from Slavonic obora, through Bulgarian and Serbian
the fence turned cattle fair
piață
from Italian piazza
the town's wide space, turned trading ground
iarmaroc
from German Jahrmarkt, through Ukrainian
the annual fair
bazar
from Persian, through French; the old pazar, from Turkish
the covered row of shops
mezat
from Turkish mezat
the auction; record cited in IST. Ț. R.
talcioc
from Russian tolciok
the flea market; record cited in Călinescu

The order follows the records MDA2 cites where they exist — târg in the Voroneț Codex, mezat in IST. Ț. R., talcioc in Călinescu; elsewhere it is staging, not a proven chronology.

Dictionaries on the table

What the dictionaries say

Each word comes with its dictionary line and, where MDA2 gives one, the record MDA2 cites — a reference, not a proven first. Translated quotes name the dictionary first; the Romanian original follows in «». The translation is ours.

piață
«“From It. piazza.” (DEX '09: «Din it. piazza.»)» (DEX '09)
DER also starts from Italian, with possible partial Modern Greek mediation; the MDA2 etymology field: “E: it piazza, ngr πιάτσα, mg piac, ger Platz”.
dexonline.ro/definitie/piață
târg
«“From Slavonic trŭgŭ.” (DEX '09: «Din sl. trŭgŭ.»)» (DEX '09)
Record cited by MDA2: COD. VOR. 100/15
dexonline.ro/definitie/târg
iarmaroc
«“From Ukrainian jarmarok.” (DEX '09: «Din ucr. jarmarok.»)» (DEX '09)
dexonline.ro/definitie/iarmaroc
bazar
«“From Fr. bazar.” (DEX '09: «Din fr. bazar.»)» (DEX '09)
The Persian link is given by DER, CADE and DN: «Fr. bazar, din per. bazar.» (DER). The old pazar is a separate story: «a intrat de asemenea din tc. pazar direct» (DER).
dexonline.ro/definitie/bazar
obor
«“From Bg., Serb. obor.” (DEX '09: «Din bg., sb. obor.»)» (DEX '09)
DER, paraphrased: Bg., Serb., Sloven. obor ← Slavonic obora. The other obor — the fishing weir, from Russian obora — is another word.
dexonline.ro/definitie/obor
talcioc
«“Flea market. – From Russian tolciok.” (DEX '09: «Piață de vechituri. – Din rus. tolciok.»)» (DEX '09)
Record cited by MDA2: CĂLINESCU, S. 42
dexonline.ro/definitie/talcioc
mezat
«“From Turkish mezat.” (DEX '09: «Din tc. mezat.»)» (DEX '09)
Record cited by MDA2: IST. Ț. R. 127
dexonline.ro/definitie/mezat

Every reference leads to the quoted entry, on dexonline.

Seven trade words

Seven stalls, seven routes

On every card: first the direct borrowing into Romanian — the source the head dictionary names — then the older route. Three separate things: the immediate donor language, the deeper etymological ancestry, and the surrounding countries or cultures; never swap them. The full chain, the sense then against the sense now, and one anchor.

piață

Italian

DEX '09DERMDA2TreccaniDICTS DIFFER

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANpiață ← It. piazza (DEX '09)
THE OLDER ROUTEpartly through Mod. Greek πιάτζα (DER)
It. piazza ← Lat. platea ← Greek plateia (Treccani; Scriban, 1939)

Before it was where you buy tomatoes, “piazza” was simply the town's wide open space (Treccani: “area libera”): trade is what a market does, not what the word means.

Worth keeping: DEX names Italian; DER also starts from Italian, with possible partial Modern Greek mediation.

MDA2 also lists Modern Greek, Hungarian and German in its etymology field: “E: it piazza, ngr πιάτσα, mg piac, ger Platz”.

târg

Old Slavonic

DEX '09MDA2DER

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANtârg ← Old Slav. trŭgŭ (DEX '09; MDA2)

Three senses, one word: the trading place, the deal, and the market town (DEX '09; DER adds «Oraș, orășel» and «Învoială, înțelegere»).

Anchor: the first administrative ordering of the fairs, Alexandru Lăpușneanu, 1561 — after DER.

iarmaroc

Ukrainian

DEX '09CADEDER

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANiarmaroc ← Ukr. jarmarok (DEX '09)
THE OLDER ROUTEUkr. jarmarok ← German Jahrmarkt (CADE, Scriban, DER)

Jahr (year) + Markt (market): the annual fair. “A fair held on fixed dates” (DEX '09: «Târg ținut la date fixe; bâlci.»).

Place anchor: Moldavia (DER: «În Mold.»; CADE: «Mold. Bucov.»).

bazar

French

DEX '09DERCADEMULTIPLE ROUTES

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANbazar (the modern form) ← Fr. bazar (DEX '09)
THE OLDER ROUTEFr. bazar ← Pers. bāzār (DER; CADE; DN)
separately: old Romanian pazar ← Turkish pazar, straight (DER)

“An oriental-style commercial complex, a row of shops and stalls” (MDA2); by extension: market, fair.

The two Romanian forms keep the two routes: bazar the French one, pazar the Turkish one.

The pen, the cast-offs and the auction

obor

Bulgarian and Serbian

DEX '09DER

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANobor ← Bg., Serb. obor (DEX '09)
THE OLDER ROUTEBg., Serb., Sloven. obor ← Slavonic obora (DER, paraphrased)

“1. A fenced cattle pen. – 2. A cattle fair.” (DER: «Țarc de vite … Tîrg de vite.»)

Anchor: Bucharest's Obor, on the Târgul Moșilor ground (see “Three dates”).

The other obor — the fishing weir, from Russian obora — is another word and stays out.

talcioc

Russian

DEX '09MDA2

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANtalcioc ← Russ. tolciok (DEX '09)

“Flea market.” (DEX '09) Record cited by MDA2: Călinescu, S. 42 — the most recently cited record of the seven words.

Anchor: “most recently cited” is not “youngest in speech”.

The dictionary gives no more: no breakdown, no translation of Russian tolciok.

mezat

Turkish

DEX '09MDA2Scriban

BORROWED STRAIGHT INTO ROMANIANmezat ← Turk. mezat (DEX '09; MDA2)
THE OLDER ROUTETurk. mezat ← Arab. mezad (Scriban)

“A public sale (of a debtor's goods); auction.” (DEX '09) A mezat is a sale, not a physical place. The phrase: «A scoate la mezat» — to put up for auction.

Anchor: the IST. Ț. R. 127 record (MDA2).

Sultan-mezat: “a special auction held in the country's divan” (DEX '09).

The routes map

Every route on one map

Eight lanes, seven words — and the old pazar gets its own lane. Every hop carries its dictionary. The routes are linguistic — borrowings between languages, not journeys reconstructed step by step.

piațăIt. piazza (DEX '09)Mod. Greek πιάτζα · partly (DER)Lat. platea ← Greek plateia (Treccani · Scriban)
târgOld Slav. trŭgŭ (DEX '09 · MDA2)
iarmarocUkr. jarmarok (DEX '09)German Jahrmarkt (CADE · Scriban · DER)
bazarFr. bazar (DEX '09)Pers. bāzār (DER · CADE · DN)
pazar · old formTurkish pazar · straight (DER)
oborBg./Serb. obor (DEX '09)Slavonic obora (DER)
talciocRuss. tolciok (DEX '09)
mezatTurk. mezat (DEX '09 · MDA2)Arab. mezad (Scriban)

Side by side

The seven words, aligned by sense — they are not the same thing: a square, a fair, a pen, an auction.

The word	What it names first	Immediate source	Older route
piață	the open town space; today also the shopping ground	It. piazza (DEX '09)	Mod. Greek πιάτζα, partly (DER); Lat. platea ← Greek plateia (Treccani; Scriban)
târg	the trading place; also the deal, also the town	Old Slav. trŭgŭ (DEX '09; MDA2)	—
iarmaroc	the periodic fair, the annual market	Ukr. jarmarok (DEX '09)	German Jahrmarkt (CADE; Scriban; DER)
bazar	the commercial complex; by extension, the market	Fr. bazar (DEX '09)	Pers. bāzār (DER; CADE; DN)
pazar · old form	the same shops, old form	Turkish pazar, straight (DER)	—
obor	the pen; the cattle fair	Bg., Serb. obor (DEX '09)	Slavonic obora (DER)
talcioc	the flea market	Russ. tolciok (DEX '09)	—
mezat	the auction — a sale, not a place	Turk. mezat (DEX '09; MDA2)	Arab. mezad (Scriban)

The market as archive

A Romanian market is also a linguistic archive — not an orderly procession of conquerors, but seven borrowings from seven neighbourhoods. The invisible, made visible:

ROMANIANpiață · târg · iarmaroc · bazar · obor · talcioc · mezat
IMMEDIATE DONOR LANGUAGESItalian · Old Slavonic · Ukrainian · French · Bulgarian and Serbian · Russian · Turkish
DEEP ANCESTORSLatin, Greek, German, Persian, Slavonic, Arabic

From charter to market days

Three dates

Three dated stops: the privileges around Sibiu, the Brașov charter, the market days at Câmpul Moșilor. A separate layer: the history of markets, not the history of words — the documents show real institutions and trade routes; the dictionaries track the words independently.

Sibiu 1224
In 1224, the Andreanum of Andrew II codifies major privileges of the Saxon communities in Transylvania.
CAVEAT The charter is a frame, not a fair right: no fair clause in it is verified.
Sibiu's Grand Square, towards the Catholic church. Photo: Neighbor's goat, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Câmpulung toll 20 January 1368
Vladislav I (Vlaicu) grants the Brașov merchants a commercial privilege, dated 20 January 1368; Câmpulung appears as a toll post, where the freight carts paid a “treizecime”.
CAVEAT The day and the privilege come from the official Brăila county chronology; the toll comes from the Câmpulung municipality: the town “became a toll post, mentioned as such for the first time … in 1368, in a charter issued by Vladislav I”.
Council Square, Brașov. Photo: Pudelek (Marcin Szala), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Brașov's market in 1848, a period drawing. Photo: Eduard Hüllverding, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
The cattle fair, Câmpul Moșilor Tuesdays and Fridays
The weekly cattle and fodder fair at Câmpul Moșilor met on Tuesdays and Fridays. Târgul Moșilor (the old fair), the Obor district and Obor Hall are separate things: do not read them as one timeless institution.
CAVEAT The days come from a 1934 Bucharest guide, quoted in volume XIX of the Bucharest City Museum: “the Obor cattle fair, Câmpul Moșilor (for cattle and fodder, held on Tuesdays and Fridays)”.
Obor Hall in 1910. Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, public domain

The road, in short

Sibiu, 1224
the privileges
Brașov – Câmpulung, 20 January 1368
the charter and the toll
Câmpul Moșilor
the market days

Three places, three dates — the history of markets, not of words.

The coins on the stall

What was spent in the market is another story, told in full by the Croatian ban page: the banovac, then Vlaicu's ban, then the 40 parale.

The coins, at the Croatian ban →

Neighbours

What the page leaves to others, knowingly:

The Croatian ban the coins: banovac, ban, parale
The transition bazaar the 1990s bazaar
The broken bench the bench
The 1867 leu the leu

The game

Which road did the word take?

Seven words, seven donor languages. Pick a word, then the language it entered Romanian from — the card unfolds with the deep route and the dictionary line.

Keys 1–7 pick the word; a picked word can also be dragged onto its language.

Score: 0 of 7

Play once: the best score stays here.

The answers, in short

piață → Italian

târg → Old Slavonic

iarmaroc → Ukrainian

bazar → French (old pazar ← Turkish)

obor → Bulgarian and Serbian

talcioc → Russian

mezat → Turkish

Questions

Short questions

The short answers, each with its dictionary beside it.

Where does “piață” come from?: From Italian piazza (DEX '09). Further back: partly through Modern Greek (DER), and piazza from Lat. platea ← Greek plateia (Treccani; Scriban, 1939).
Is “târg” Slavic?: Yes: it comes from Old Slavonic trŭgŭ (DEX '09; MDA2). And it names more than the trading place: the deal and the town answered to târg too.
Why does “iarmaroc” look like Jahrmarkt?: Because that is where it comes from: German Jahrmarkt — Jahr (year) + Markt (market), the annual fair — through Ukr. jarmarok (DEX '09; CADE; DER).
Does “bazar” come from Persian or Turkish?: It depends on the form. The modern bazar comes from French (DEX '09), with Persian further back (DER); the old pazar entered straight from Turkish (DER). Two Romanian forms, two routes.
What did “obor” mean before the district?: A cattle pen: “1. A fenced cattle pen. – 2. A cattle fair.” (DER) From Bg., Serb. obor ← Slavonic obora. The fishing obor is another word.
Where does “talcioc” come from?: From Russian tolciok (DEX '09): the flea market. The record MDA2 cites is in Călinescu — the most recently cited record of the seven.
What does “a scoate la mezat” mean?: To put up for auction: “a public sale (of a debtor's goods)” (DEX '09). Mezat comes from Turk. mezat ← Arab. mezad (Scriban) — and it is a sale, not a place.

Sources

Dictionaries first, then the documents and market days, then the neighbours. Every claim stands on its level of evidence: 1–2 dictionaries, 3–4 documents and institutions, 5 general background.

1 · Academic dictionaries

2 · The donor language's dictionary

piazza: Treccani, Vocabolario

3–4 · Documents, museums, archives

5 · General background

Neighbours

Type: Fraunces, Newsreader and Atkinson Hyperlegible, under the SIL Open Font Licence.