gjysmë

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Albanian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Has been linked to Proto-Indo-European *yemH- (“twin”),[1][2] although this is problematic both phonologically and semantically.

May reflect Proto-Indo-European *sḗmi-ty-om, compare Ancient Greek ἥμισσον n (hḗmisson, “half”), from *sēmi- (“half”). Original *s regularly yields gj before accented vowels. The original *ē, after becoming *o must have regularly fronted to *e due to the following *i, and afterwards raised to *i because of the preceding palatal occlusive and following nasal, as also happened in qind, gjind. The evolution of an original stressed gji before labials to an oscillating gjy ~ gji ~ gju can also be observed in magjyp. The metathesis of ms may have been reinforced by contamination with -më, compare also kullusmë.

An early form of the term influencing Romanian jumătate, Aromanian giumitati / giumitate, although possible, seems unnecessary. A direct borrowing from Paleo-Balkan into Balkan Romance[2] is even less likely, as the terms simply metathesised outcomes of Latin medietās, the Pan-Romance word for “half”.

Pronunciation

Noun

gjysmë f (plural gjysma, definite gjysma, definite plural gjysmat)

  1. a half, 1⁄2
  2. middle
    Synonym: mes
    në gjysmë ― in the middle
  3. half sole
  4. (colloquial) low shoe (i.e. not covering the ankle), low-tops
  5. (colloquial) square headscarf for women
    Synonym: shami
  6. (archaic) Synonym of gjysmare

Derived terms

Adverb

gjysmë

  1. halfway, partially
    Synonym: përgjysmë
    Antonym: plotësisht
  2. half ... half. when repeated
    gjysma mi gjysma zog ― half mouse half bird

References

  1. ^ Eric P. Hamp (1992) “Albanian”, in Jadranka Gvozdanović, editor, Indo-European Numerals, Mouton de Gruyter, →DOI, →ISBN, page 920
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “gjysmë”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 139f.

Further reading

  • “gjýsm/ë,~a”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎ (in Albanian), 1980, page 633f.
  • Mann, S. E. (1948) “gjysmë”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 151b
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