# The Status of the Word "iorgan"



## 123xyz

I am wondering to what extent the word "iorgan" is known and used in Romanian, referring to a duvet, or as a synonym of "plapumă"? I have found it in the DEX dictionary provided in the resources, but I didn't get any hits for it when I googled it. I am wondering because I recently spoke to a Romanian speaker about the word "јорган" in Macedonian and she didn't recognize it, even though it is an obvious cognate to Romanian "iorgan", both coming from the Turkish "yorgan". So, is it an obsolete or archaic word or not?

Thank you in advance


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## irinet

"The Etymological Dictionary of the Romanian Language" (M. Vinereanu, 2009) does not provide this word.
I have never heard of it, sorry.


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## 123xyz

Here is the entry I found about it: http://dexonline.ro/definitie/iorgan
I suppose it is indeed obsolete or archaic (or dialectal). Thank you for your contribution.


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## banifatich

I've heard this word used by people that originate from Southern Moldova. 

Google says that it also is used in the region of Banat.


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## irinet

Finally, I have found your word in a "Dictionary of Archaisms and Regionalisms" (Gh. Bulgăr and Gh. Constantinescu, Bucureşti, 2007). It is old and it does refer as you said to "plapumă" or a kind of handmade carpet peasants use in their carriage/wagon. The one who used to make 'iorgane' was 'iorgangiu', similar to 'plapumă' - plăpumar'. You can't find these two crafts nowadays.
It is not a Moldavian word, banifatich! I am from the southern part of this region and I use 'plapumă' while my grandma used 'plapumă', too.


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## banifatich

It is surely a Moldavian word. I've heard it several times from people from South Bessarabia. It is regional even in Moldova.


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## farscape

According to *dexonline.ro*, the provenance of the word is Turkish which  could explain why the dictionaries list it as being specific to Banat  and Southern Moldova (in 1939 it's easy to conceive that S. Moldova  refers to S. Basarabia as well) .

Another thing to consider *irinet*,  is how far South the Romanian Moldova extends today. Some may say that  Galaţi is part of it and some may beg to differ. Given that you are more  familiar with that part and *banifatich* with the Republic of Moldova, you could both be right 

I for one have never heard of it in Regat (Giurgiu - Bucureşti - Ploieşti -> the region I'm more familiar with). However, there are several (Romanian) people on the 'Net with the Iorgan surname.

Later,
f


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## irinet

Hi,
For me, the word is obselete. If banifatch is from the Republic of Moldavia, then, I can understand the present use of the word.
(...)
As for the second point, I suppose you referred to Brăila whether or not it belongs to the region of Moldavia. Galați definitely is spotted there.


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## farscape

I meant what I wrote, Galaţi: I know people born and bred in Galaţi who claim they are not "moldoveni" 

Best,
f.


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