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 [Etymological Dictionary of the Albanian Language] (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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