templu (Romanian)
Where does "templu" come from?
The Romanian word 'templu' traces its roots back to the Latin 'templum,' a term originally describing an open space cleared for ritual observation. It likely stems from Proto-Indo-European roots related to stretching or cutting, reflecting the precise measurement of sacred ground. The word eventually entered Romanian as a direct borrowing from French and Latin, and it shares a common ancestor with the Romanian word 'tâmplă'.
Full etymology tree
- templu (Romanian), 'temple (worship place)'
- borrowed temple (French), 'Protestant church'
- inherited temple (Old French), 'temple'
- borrowed templum (Latin), 'an open space for augural observation; open, clear, broad space'
- inherited *temp- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stretch, exert an effort on'
- inherited *temh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cut'
- inherited *temp(u)la (Vulgar Latin)
- inherited tempora (Latin), 'nominative/accusative/vocative plural of tempus'
- inherited tempus (Latin), 'a time (a portion or period of time)'
- inherited tempora (Latin), 'nominative/accusative/vocative plural of tempus'
- borrowed templum (Latin), 'an open space for augural observation; open, clear, broad space'
- inherited temple (Old French), 'temple'
- inherited templum (Latin), 'an open space for augural observation; open, clear, broad space'
- inherited *temp- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stretch, exert an effort on'
- inherited *temh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cut'
- borrowed temple (French), 'Protestant church'
Ancestors
- temple (French)
- templum (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- tâmplă (Romanian)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris