This is a glossary of historical Romanian ranks and titles used in the principalities of Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania, and later in Romania. Many of these titles are of Slavic etymology, with some of Greek, Latin, and Turkish etymology; several are original (such as armaș, paharnic, jitnicer and vistiernic). Various boier titles correspond to various honorary services at the Court, but often they were associated with various actual governmental duties as well.
Mare (Romanian), vel (Slavic) or baș (Turkish) are composing parts used with other titles. Synonymous with the Byzantine "Megas", they precede a title or rank: Mare Vornic, Mare Stolnic, Vel Paharnic, Vel Pitar, Vel Logofăt, Baș Boier, etc.[1] [2]
| Name of the rank | Etymology | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aprod | Hungarian apród | official in charge of justice or fiscal affairs, or introducing guest to the court. | |
| Armaș | Romanian Armă, arm + suffix -aș | official in charge of security, prisons and executions. | |
| Ban | probably Sarmatian, Persian or Avar | The title of medieval rulers of parts of Wallachia (Oltenia and Severin) since the 13th century. The Wallachian bans were military governors. Territory over which a ban ruled in Wallachia was called a banat (see article about Banat region). | |
| Becer | Romanian beci, cellar (of Cuman origin) | court cook. | |
| Boier | Slavic bolyarin | A hereditary aristocrat (boyars). | |
| Cămăraș | Romanian cămară, pantry | person in charge of the rooms and pantries of the court. | |
| Căminar | Romanian camină, tax, from Slavic | person in charge of collecting some taxes (initially the taxes for beeswax). | |
| Chelar | Greek kellarios, ultimately from Latin cellarium, storeroom | person in charge of the court's cellars and food stores. | |
| Clucer | Slavic kliučiari, from the word for "key" | a person in charge of the court household and servants, cf. Master of the Royal Court, Russian boyar title klyuchnik. | |
| Cneaz | Slavic Knyaz, ultimately from Germanic | chieftain or judge of some villages | |
| Condicar | Romanian condică, register book, from Greek kódik | person in charge of the court archives, archivist. | |
| Comis | Greek kómis | Master of the Horse. | |
| Cupar | Romanian cupă | boyar in charge with filling the cups at the boyar's table | |
| Domn | Romanian a domni, to rule, Latin Dominus, lord/master | title of rulers of Wallachia and Moldavia "Domnul X..." = "The lord X..." | |
| Domnitor | (he) who is the lord, from Romanian Domn, Lord | the official title of the ruler of Romania between 1859 and 1881 (also unofficially used earlier). | |
| Dregător | Romanian a drege, to fix, to plan | general term referring to most officials at the court, with roles ranging from counsellorship to administration, justice or military organisation. | |
| Jitnicer | Romanian jitniță, granary, from Slavic žitnica, derived from žito, rye | person in charge of the court granary. | |
| Jude | Latin judex, cf Romanian județ, a jurisdiction generally translated as "county" | judge and/or mayor of a region. | |
| Grămătic | Greek grammatikós | secretary. | |
| Hatman | cf. Hetman, from Polish, ultimately from German | a Moldavian equivalent of spătar. | |
| Hospodar | South Slavic gospodar | title of rulers of Wallachia and Moldavia in Slavic documents. | |
| Ispravnic | Slavic izpravnik | a representative of the Domnitor in a county. | |
| Logofăt | Greek logothetēs | chancellor. | |
| Medelnicer | Slavic "medelnica", copper wash-basin | a boier title; literally, the person who pours water on hands to wash them before meals. | |
| Paharnic | Slavic root "bowl"/"goblet"/"cup" (pohar/pucharz) cf. Romanian pahar, "glass" | person in charge of the wine supplies, loosely corresponds to "Royal Cup-bearer", akin to Polish Cześnik, but with a different etymology. | |
| Pârcălab | Hungarian porkoláb | head of a county (județ in Wallachia, ținut in Moldavia) or a fort. | |
| Pârgar | German Bürger, via Hungarian polgár. | member of the local council of a town. | |
| Pitar | from Pita bread | bread supplier of the court. | |
| Polcovnic | cf. Polkovnik | commander of a regiment. | |
| Portar | Romanian Poartă, gate | Gatekeeper, for example Portar de Suceava. | |
| Postelnic | Slavic postel, "bed"; cf. Russian postelnichy | a boier title; literally "a person in charge of royal chambers"; loosely corresponds to Chamberlain. | |
| Șătrar | South Slavic šatra | boyar in charge of the watch of the military camp during war. | |
| Sfetnic | Slavic suvetnik | voivode/domnitor's adviser. | |
| Spătar | Greek spatharios | In Wallachia, holder of the royal sword and bludgeon and second in rank in the army after the voivode. | |
| Staroste | Slavic Starosta | guildmaster, the leader of a guild (breaslă in Moldavia, isnaf in Wallachia). | |
| Stolnic | Slavic Stolnik | a boier rank and the position at the court in the history of Moldavia and Wallachia, a seneschal; a person in charge of the royal table. | |
| Sluger | Slavic služar | person in charge of meat supplies for the court. | |
| Vătaf | Slavic vatah | overseer of various kinds (Vătaful divanului, Vătaf de agie, Vătaf de plai, Vătaf de hotar, etc.). | |
| Vistier | Latin vestiarius, a person in charge of the wardrobe | a title of treasurer. | |
| Voievod | Slavic Voivode | ruling prince, commander-in-chief of the army, titles of the Wallachian and Moldavian rulers; they were also known as domnitori. | |
| Vodă | Diminutive of voievod | Title of rulers of Wallachia and Moldavia. "X-vodă..." = "The prince X..." | |
| Vornic | cf. Slovak nádvorník | official in charge of justice and internal affairs |
| Name of the rank | Etymology | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aga | Turkish ağa, military commander. | chief of a law enforcement agency (agie) | |
| Alaiceauș | Turkish alay and çavuş | master of ceremonies | |
| Beizadea | Turkish beyzade | hospodar's son (during the Phanariote period). | |
| Binișliu | Turkish binişli | court waiter. | |
| Buhurdargiu | Turkish buhurdur | person in charge with the court spice pot[3] | |
| Cafegiu | Turkish kahveci | persons who served the coffee at the court. | |
| Caftangiu | caftan, mantle, of Turkish origin. | person who put the boyarial mantle on the back of the new appointed boyars. | |
| Calemgiu | Turkish kalemcı | clerk. | |
| Capuchehaie | Turkish kapikâhaya | diplomatic representative of the Wallachian/Moldavian rulers to the Ottoman court. | |
| Capugiu | Turkish kapucu | guard of the Sultan and executer of secret orders, including deposing or assassinating of the princes of Wallachia and Moldavia | |
| Caraghios | Turkish karagöz | court buffoon | |
| Cavas-bașa | Turkishkavas and baş | court servant who guarded the door of the prince's room. | |
| Ceauș | Turkish çavuş | messenger or doorman | |
| Chehaia | Turkish kehaya | representative of the Domnitor at the Ottoman court. | |
| Ciohodar | Turkish çuhadar | person in charge of the shoes of the ruler. | |
| Ciubucciu | Turkish çubukçu | person in charge of the pipes (çubuk) of the ruler. | |
| Divan Efendi | Turkish | Ottoman clerk who worked as a translator at the court, who was also a spy of the Sultan | |
| Divictar | Turkish divitdar | court clerk in charge with the ink and writing supplies. | |
| Dragoman | Greek dragomános | interpreter, translator. | |
| Gealat | Turkish cellât | executioner. | |
| Geamgirgiu | Turkish | servant in charge of the prince's bedsheets. | |
| Gus-bașa | Turkish | servant in charge of the books with the boyar's ranks. | |
| Ibrictar | Turkish | servant who was in charge of the kettle which held the water for washing prince's hands. | |
| Iciolan | Turkish içoğlan | boy servant | |
| Idicliu | Turkish | servant in charge of the horses | |
| Isbașa | Turkish | clerk in charge with the petitions at the Court. | |
| Iuzbața | Turkish yüz, a hundred | commander over the hundred soldiers who defended the Court | |
| Lipcan | Turkish lipkan | official courier between the Porte and the Wallachian and Moldavian Courts. | |
| Mabeemgiu | Turkish | servant in charge with the mabeems (chambers dedicated to the dregători) | |
| Mazil | Turkish mazul or Southern Russian mazil (landowner) | boiar of the landed gentry holding no public function. | |
| Mehmendar | Turkish mihmandar | a boyar accompanying the ruler, taking care of the lodging. | |
| Meteregiu | Turkish | a servant in charge with the prince's washing basin | |
| Mucurdar, Muhurdar, Muhardagiu | Turkish mühürdar | a person in charge with the Court's seals. | |
| Mumbașir | Turkish mübaşir | tax collector | |
| Nerghelegiu | Turkish nargileci | servant in charge with the prince's nargile | |
| Nazâr | Turkish nāzır | governor of a Turkish city (such as the Turkish fortresses on the Danube) | |
| Paia | Turkish pāye | boyar without a public function | |
| Pehlivan | Turkish Pehlivan | acrobat of the court, often brought from Constantinople. | |
| Peschirigi-bașa | Turkish | servant in charge with giving to the prince the towel for drying himself. | |
| Rahtivan | Turkish | servant in charge with the prince's horse harnesses. | |
| Serdar | from Turkish sardar, ultimately from Persian | commander of an army. | |
| Ṣeitar | court buffoon |