ushunjëz

Albanian

Etymology

Related to shushunjë (“leech”). Could be a derivative with unique loss of initial sh-. Alternatively, if inherited, from Proto-Albanian *ūdsonja, from *ūd (“water”) + *-es (agent noun) + *-onja (feminine suffix) + *-az (diminutive suffix).

Noun

ushúnjëz f

1. (zoology) leech

Further reading

• “ushunjëz”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006
• FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎^[1], 1980
• Newmark, L. (1999) “ushunjëz”, in Oxford Albanian-English Dictionary‎^[2]