vëlla
Albanian
Etymology
Uncertain.
1) From Proto-Albanian *swe-laudā, *swe representing the reflexive u 'self', and *lauda, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“man, people”), thus meaning belonging to the same people[1].
2) From *vëllaz (in plural (Gheg) vëllazën), from *waládža, from Proto-Albanian *(a)waládja, metathesis of *awádlja, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₂ó-dʰli̯os (“mother's brother”). Same sense development as motër (“sister”), from *méh₂treh₂ (“mother's sister”).
3) From Proto-Albanian *h1leudh-, Possibly < *uai-láu(d) (< *suoi- h1loudhi-), an old compound with the reflexive pronoun ve(të) ‘own, self’. The plural stem *vəɫaz- (> vëllezër / vëllazën) can be derived phonetically from *laudźi-.[2]. Possibly related to Phrygian vela 'family, relatives'. A connection to Finnish veli, Estonian veli (“brother”) (see Proto-Finnic *velji) has been proposed, although this is improbable.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [vəˈɫa]
Noun
vëlla m (indefinite plural vëllezër, definite singular vëllai, definite plural vëllezërit)
Declension
indefinite forms (trajta të pashquara) |
definite forms (trajta të shquara) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
singular (numri njëjës) |
plural (numri shumës) |
singular (numri njëjës) |
plural (numri shumës) | ||
nominative (emërore) |
vëlla | vëllezër | vëllai | vëllezërit | |
accusative (kallëzore) |
vëlla | vëllezër | vëllain | vëllezërit | |
genitive (gjinore) (i/e/të/së) |
vëllai | vëllezërve | vëllait | vëllezërve | |
dative (dhanore) |
vëllai | vëllezërve | vëllait | vëllezërve | |
ablative (rrjedhore) |
vëllai | vëllezërish | vëllait | vëllezërve |
References
- Orel, Vladimir (1998), “vëlla”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, page 503
- Albanische Etymologien (Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz), Bardhyl Demiraj, Leiden Studies in Indo-European 7; Amsterdam - Atlanta 1997