country in Eastern Europe, named for the river through it, probably from a PIE word meaning "dark, darkish color, soiled, black" (see melano-).
Entries linking to moldova
melano-
word-forming element meaning "black," from Greek melano-, combining form of melas (genitive melanos) "black, dark, murky,"probably from a PIE root *melh-"black, of darkish color" (source also of Sanskrit malinah "dirty, stained, black," Lithuanian mėlynas"blue," Latin mulleus "reddish").
Moldavia
historical region in Eastern Europe between the Carpathian Mountains and the River Dniester, a Latinized form of Moldova. Related: Moldavian, which is attested from c. 1600 as a noun in reference to the Moldavian language; by 1630s as "native or inhabitant of Moldavia" and as an adjective, "of or pertaining to Moldavia or its people or language."