Uncertain. Possibly from a pre-Roman substrate of the Balkanssubstrate, maybe Dacian *balauras, *beleuras, akin to Albanian boljë, bollë, bullar. The Albanian may more likely be derived from a Latin term, alternatively, and the Romanian may be taken from it. May also have a relation to Serbian blavor, but it is uncertain which language borrowed from which. Another theory suggests Latin belluarius, ultimately from bēlua; however the normal result in Romanian would have been *bălar. Influence from laur may have affected it, but it is uncertain why this analogy would be made.