Words Expressing Eternity in the Novel Varlaam and Josaphat

Abstract

The author aims to offer an analysis of the words used to denote eternity in the popular novel Varlaam and Josaphat, which was translated from Slavonic to Romanian by Udriște Năsturel in the mid-17th century. The analysed terms are: vecuitor, vecui, veacinic, preveacinic, preneclătinat, neputred, nevechitor, nesfărâmat, fără-de-moarte, fără-sfârșenie, pururea fiitor, pururea-trăitor, trăitor, stătător, and împreună-pururea-fiitor. Most of these terms were formed by imitating the internal structure of the Slavonic terms they translated. The current Romanian vocabulary retains only veacinic, in its literary variant veșnic. The other words did not survive the passing of time. Some of the terms do not appear in Romanian lexicographic works and seem to be personal lexical creations of Udriște Năsturel.