vëlla

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 *h₂ewh₂ó-dʰl̥yos (“mother's brother”). Same sense development as motër (“sister”), from *méh₂treh₂ (“mother's sister”).

3) From Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ-, 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.

4) From Proto-Albanian *u̯əłáə, from *u̯əłáðə, from an earlier *u̯əłáðī. Ultimately from PIE *su̯e-(h₁)le/ou̯dʰii̯o-n-. The form of vëllezër (Tosk)/Vëllezën (Gheg) comes from Proto-Albanian *u̯ełédzenì, from Pre-Proto-Albanian *u̯eládi̯anì. Vëllezëri/Vllazni comes from Proto-Albanian *u̯eladi̯an-ía.

• IPA^(key):

vëlla m (plural vëllezër, definite vëllai, definite plural vëllezërit)

1. brother