Names of Transnistria
Encyclopedia
Although most commonly known in English as Transnistria
, the official name is Pridnestrovie. Here is a detailed explanation of the names used for Transnistria, both official and unofficial, as they appear in the local languages and in English.
, Moldavian
(in the Cyrillic alphabet), and Ukrainian
. In each of the three national languages the name reads:
The abbreviations of each name in the official languages also appear on the Transnistrian coat of arms
.
The Constitution of Transnistria
gives the official name as Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR).
Some authorities, such as the President's office
, translate this name to English as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
The official abbreviation in English is PMR.
The PMR government favours not to translate the country name when written in English: "Pridnestrovie" is also the official shortform name in English. Per a 2000 presidential naming decree, the official transliteration in Latin script is Pridnestrovie.
The government of Moldova
refers to the region Stînga Nistrului, which means "Left Bank of the Dniester" although in the Moldavian Latin script
, the official name is Republica Moldovenească Nistreană (which translates to English as "Nistrian Moldavian Republic").
The European Court of Human Rights
used the name Moldavian Republic of Transdniestria or Moldovan Republic of Transnistria (MRT), while OSCE and others sometimes refer to it as the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (TMR). Author Charles King, in his book The Moldovans, uses the names Dnestr Republic and Dnestr Moldovan Republic (DMR).
. In Romanian/Moldavian, the river is known as Nistru. The name "Transnistria" is Romanian/Moldavian and literally means "beyond the river Dniester". The name has been in use in Romania as early as 1924, but it was popularized internationally during WWII
.
In both Russian and Ukrainian, the name has a more literal meaning as it is called "Subdniestria" which means "On this side of the Dniester", "By-The-Dniester" or "On-The-Dniester" (as opposed to beyond the Dniester).
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
, the official name is Pridnestrovie. Here is a detailed explanation of the names used for Transnistria, both official and unofficial, as they appear in the local languages and in English.
Official names, long
Transnistria has three official languages: RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Moldavian
Moldovan language
Moldovan is one of the names of the Romanian language as spoken in the Republic of Moldova, where it is official. The spoken language of Moldova is closer to the dialects of Romanian spoken in northeastern Romania, and the two countries share the same literary standard...
(in the Cyrillic alphabet), and Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
. In each of the three national languages the name reads:
- Russian: Приднестровская Молдавская Республика (Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublika), abbreviated ПМР
- Moldavian Cyrillic: Република Молдовеняскэ Нистрянэ (Republica Moldovenească Nistreană), abbreviated РМН
- Ukrainian: Придністровська Молдавська Республіка (Prydnistrovs'ka Moldavs'ka Respublika), abbreviated ПМР
The abbreviations of each name in the official languages also appear on the Transnistrian coat of arms
Coat of arms of Transnistria
The national emblem of Transnistria is a remodeled version of the former Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic emblem, that was substituted by the internationally-recognized Moldovan government after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The only major change made in the Transnistrian device...
.
The Constitution of Transnistria
Constitution of Transnistria
The current Constitution of Transnistria was approved by national referendum on 24 December 1995, and signed into law by the President of Transnistria on 17 January 1996. As part of the territory's move towards market based reforms, it was modified on 30 June 2000.The constitution provides for a...
gives the official name as Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR).
Some authorities, such as the President's office
President of Transnistria
The President of Transnistria is the highest elected official of Transnistria, a small unrecognized country which declared independence from Moldova in 1990. The president of the republic is the country's head of state and is commander in chief...
, translate this name to English as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
The official abbreviation in English is PMR.
Official names, short
The official shortform name (the name in daily usage) in Russian is "Приднестровье", Pridnestrovie, which literally means "Subdniestria". Short name in Moldavian is Нистрения - Nistrenia, in Ukrainian Придністров'я - Prydnistrovya.The PMR government favours not to translate the country name when written in English: "Pridnestrovie" is also the official shortform name in English. Per a 2000 presidential naming decree, the official transliteration in Latin script is Pridnestrovie.
Other names in use
In Russian, the names used for Transnistria are always consistently either Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica or Pridnestrovie (the two official names, long- and short- respectively). However, in English a wide variety of names have been used to describe the region, among them: Trans-Dniester, Transdnistria, Transdniestria, Transdniestr, Trans-Dniestria, Transdniester, Transniestria, Transdnestr, also Trans-Dnjestr and Trans-Dnjester.The government of Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
refers to the region Stînga Nistrului, which means "Left Bank of the Dniester" although in the Moldavian Latin script
Moldovan language
Moldovan is one of the names of the Romanian language as spoken in the Republic of Moldova, where it is official. The spoken language of Moldova is closer to the dialects of Romanian spoken in northeastern Romania, and the two countries share the same literary standard...
, the official name is Republica Moldovenească Nistreană (which translates to English as "Nistrian Moldavian Republic").
The European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
used the name Moldavian Republic of Transdniestria or Moldovan Republic of Transnistria (MRT), while OSCE and others sometimes refer to it as the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (TMR). Author Charles King, in his book The Moldovans, uses the names Dnestr Republic and Dnestr Moldovan Republic (DMR).
Naming background
All of the names cited above have their root in the name of the river DniesterDniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
. In Romanian/Moldavian, the river is known as Nistru. The name "Transnistria" is Romanian/Moldavian and literally means "beyond the river Dniester". The name has been in use in Romania as early as 1924, but it was popularized internationally during WWII
Transnistria (World War II)
Transnistria Governorate was a Romanian administered territory, conquered by the Axis Powers from the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, and occupied from 19 August 1941 to 29 January 1944...
.
In both Russian and Ukrainian, the name has a more literal meaning as it is called "Subdniestria" which means "On this side of the Dniester", "By-The-Dniester" or "On-The-Dniester" (as opposed to beyond the Dniester).
External links
- What's in a name: "Pridnestrovie" vs "Transnistria" (English)
- PMR government's naming decree (Russian)
- Transnistria naming background (English)