sterrë

Albanian

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈsterə/
  • Rhymes: -erə

Etymology 1

Disputed. Possibilities include:

  1. An expressive prefixal derivative of terr (“darkness”).[1]
  2. Identical to sterrë／sterë／sternë (“underground cistern”). The factor that links the two is its darkness for someone looking from above.[n 1][2]
  3. Metathesis of an unattested *cerrë／*cernë, borrowed from Serbo-Croatian crn／црн (“black”).[3]

Adjective

sterrë (feminine sterrë)

  1. pitch dark
    u nxi qielli, u bë sterrë
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  2. jet black
    • 1878, Auguste Dozon, Manuel de la langue Chkipe ou Albanaise, Paris, page 107:
      Vétœ e bárdhœ é kóka stérhœ
      [Vetë e bardhë e koka sterrë]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  3. (figuratively) evil, dirty
    Synonyms: i zi, i përlyer
    e ka ndërgjegjen sterrë
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Adverb

sterrë

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
Derived terms
  • sterrohem
  • sterroj

Notes
  1. Compare pus (“well for water”) which is used with the same meaning in expression such as u nxi koha, u bë pus. This is backed by geographical data where the two occur together; mainly in Southern Toskë.

Etymology 2

From sternë.

Noun

sterrë f (plural sterra, definite sterra, definite plural sterrat)

  1. Alternative form of sternë (“underground cistern”)

References
  1. Orel, Vladimir E. (1998), “sterrë”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 402
  2. Eqrem Çabej (1965), “Studime rreth etimologjisë së gjuhës Shqipe XIX”, in Studime filologjike, page 58
  3. Meyer, G. (1891), “ster̄ε”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, page 392

Further reading
  • “sterrë”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎ (in Albanian), 1980
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