zemër

See also: zëmër

Albanian

Albanian Wikipedia has an article on:

Zemra

Wikipedia ^sq

Alternative forms

Etymology

Uncertain. The -b- is most likely epenthetic to avoid the -mr- cluster. Theories that have put forward are:

Akin to Arbëresh zë (“soul”).^[1]^[2] Compare Romanian inimă (“heart”),^[3] from Latin anima (“soul”), which is the only other Indo-European language to have supplanted the original Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr ~ *ḱr̥dés. The morphemes involved and the ultimate etymology are not clear. Some proposals have been put forward:
1. From the verb zë / zâ (“to seize”),^[1] although this has been doubted.^[4]
2. Has been compared with Ancient Greek εὐθηνέω (euthēnéō, “to thrive, bloom”),^[5] itself of unclear origin.^[6]
Linked with Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“companion; fun”) to a tentative root Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰem- (“to move violently”),^[7] although this is very dubious.^[8]
A connection with Ancient Greek ῑ̔́μερος (hī́meros, “yearning, love”)^[9] is phonetically unlikely.

Similarity with Ottoman Turkish ضمیر (zamir, “interior part; heart”) is coincidental.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈzeməɾ/, [ˈzɛːməɹ]
(Gheg) IPA^(key): [ˈzɛ̃ːməɹ], [ˈzæːməɹ]
Rhymes: -eməɾ

Noun

zemër f (plural zemra, definite zemra, definite plural zemrat)

heart (organ)
(figurative) heart (feelings and emotions)
plagët e zemrës ― wounds to the heart

mik zemre ― soul mate
- 1685, Pjetër Bogdani, Cuneus Prophetarum. Pars Prima, III.I.25, page 92:
  gni Derrassè mbaj, urξeninè me dasciunè Tènèɛonè, me giξξè mend, me giξξè ɛemerè, e me giξξè scpijrt, e me giξξè fuchij
  [nji dërrasë mbaj urdhëninë me dashunë Tënëzonë me gjithë mend, me gjithë zemërë, e me gjithë shpīrt, e me gjithë fuqī]
  a tablet contained the orther to love God with all the mind, with all the heart, and with all the spirit, and with all the strength
(figurative) guts, courage
Synonym: guxim

me zemër të fort ― with great courage
heart, core, inside (of something)
Synonym: mes
middle (of time)
Synonym: mes

në zemër të natës ― at dead of night
(figurative) driving force, essence, soul
Synonym: shpirt
(regional) belly, stomach
Synonym: lukth

Declension

Declension of zemër

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	zemër	zemra	zemra	zemrat
accusative	zemër	zemrën	zemra	zemrat
dative	zemre	zemrës	zemrave	zemrave
ablative	zemre	zemrës	zemrash	zemrave

Derived terms

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Meyer, G. (1891) “1) zɛ̄”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the Albanian Language] (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, page 483
^ Neri, Sergio (2022): zemër. In: DPEWA.URL: https://www.dpwa.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/dictionary/?lemmaid=21854
^ Huld, Martin E. (1986) “Accentual Stratification of Ancient Greek Loanwords in Albanian”, in Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung, volume 99, number 2, →JSTOR, page 132f.
^ Demiraj, B. (1997) “2. zë”, in Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz [Albanian Etymologies: […]] (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 7)‎^[1] (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 426
^ Jokl, Norbert (1937) “Ein Beitrag zur Lehre von der alb. Vertretung der idg. Labiovelare”, in Mélanges linguistiques offerts a M. Holger Pedersen à l’occasion de son soixante-dixième anniversaire, page 128
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “εὐθηνέω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 478f.
^ Wiedemann, Oskar (1902) “Etymologien”, in Beiträge zur Kunde der indogermanischen Sprachen, volume 27, page 202
^ Tagliavini, Carlo (1937) “zẹ́mbr”, in L'albanese di Dalmazia. […] (in Italian), Florence: Leo S. Olschki, page 293
^ Kristoforidhi, Kostandin (1904) “ζέμε̯ρε̯”, in Λεξικὸν τῆς Ἀλβανικῆς γλώσσης [Lexikòn tês Albanikês glṓssēs] (in Greek), Athens, page 120