Learn Romanian › ostatică
ostatică
hostage (female) /ostaˈtikə/
noun#3627 most common
Also: captive (female)
Example sentences
Femeia este ostatică.
The woman is a hostage.
Ostatica a fost eliberată azi.
The hostage was released today.
Poliția anunță eliberarea ostaticei.
The police announce the hostage's release.
Jurnalista a fost ținută ostatică timp de trei luni.
The journalist was held hostage for three months.
Deși negocierile au eșuat, una dintre cetățene a rămas ostatică în mâinile rebelilor.
Although the negotiations failed, one of the female citizens remained a hostage in the rebels' hands.
Fosta ostatică a povestit, într-un interviu tulburător, cum regimul o folosise drept armă de propagandă cât timp fusese ținută captivă.
The former hostage recounted, in a disturbing interview, how the regime had used her as a propaganda weapon while she was held captive.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ostatică | ostatice |
| Genitive | ostaticei | ostaticelor |
| Accusative | ostatică | ostatice |
| Vocative | ostatico | ostaticelor |
Word family
Etymology
Romanian "ostatic" (and its feminine form "ostatică") comes from Old Slavic, tied to a Slavic root meaning "to remain" or "what is left behind." The idea is old and practical: a hostage was a person left behind as a guarantee that an agreement would be kept. The word entered Romanian through centuries of contact with Slavic-speaking neighbors and church language.
Learn Romanian the way that sticks.
Every word here is a full Polylex card with native audio and spaced repetition, so 4,027 words actually move into long-term memory.
Start free
Every word here is a full Polylex card with native audio and spaced repetition, so 4,027 words actually move into long-term memory.
Start free