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)

  1. brother

References

  1. ↑ Orel, Vladimir (1998), “vëlla”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, page 503
  2. ↑ Albanische Etymologien (Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz), Bardhyl Demiraj, Leiden Studies in Indo-European 7; Amsterdam - Atlanta 1997
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