Names
While the modern Romanian word for Bulgarians is "bulgari", throughout the history there have been other names by which they were referred:
The old Bulgarian population which existed in Romania by the time of the founding of the principality of Wallachia and the inclusion of Transylvania in the Hungarian Kingdom was referred as Şchei. This word, currently obsolete, is derived from the Latin word sclavis, being used to refer to all South Slavs. Currently the word can be found in many toponyms in Wallachia and Transylvania, among which, Şcheii Braşovului, a neighborhood of Braşov.
The Bulgarians who migrated during the 19th century were known as sârbi (Serbians). This word may have been used by Romanians to refer to all South Slavs, but it has also been proposed that they used this ethnic identification to prevent the Ottomans from demanding the Wallachian authorities to return the refugees to their place of origin. Even today, the Bulgarians from Wallachia are called "sârbi" (=Serbians) though they speak Bulgarian and define themselves as "bulgari" (=Bulgarians).
Read more about this topic: Bulgarians In Romania
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