Prishtina

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Albanian Prishtina.

Proper noun

Prishtina

1. Alternative spelling of Pristina

Albanian

Etymology

Uncertain. Multiple theories exist:

• Hamp connected the word with an Indo-European derivative *pṛ-tu- (ford) + *stein (cognate to English stone) which in Proto-Albanian, spoken in the region before the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan (1st-2nd century CE) produced Pristina. Thus the name in the pre-Slavic migrations era would mean in the local Albanian variety "ford-stone"

• Ernst Eichler suggests a connection with the Emperor Primus Justinianus who is thought to have built the town of Pristina. He sees the term Pristina as a composition of his name.

• Possibly derived from dialectal Proto-Slavic *pryščina (“spring of water”), from *pryskati (“to splash, to spray”). Alternatively, possibly derived from Proto-Slavic *Prišьčь (“of Prishek”) (compare Kajkavian Serbo-Croatian Prišek, a surname, and Old Polish Parzyszek, a personal name) + derivational suffix *-ina. According to Aleksandar Loma, Snoj's etymology would presuppose a rare and relatively late word formation process. According to Loma, the name of the city could be derived from the Proto-Slavic dialectal word *pryščina, meaning "spring (of water)", which is also attested in the Moravian dialects of Czech; it is derived from the verb *pryskati, meaning "to splash" or "to spray" (prskati in modern Serbian).

Proper noun

Prishtina

1. (definite) Pristina, Prishtina (the capital city of Kosovo; district of Kosovo; municipality of Kosovo)

See also

• Prishtinë (indefinite)