mjerë

Albanian

Etymology

Demiraj claims descent from Proto-Albanian *m(i)ier-, cognate to Ancient Greek μιερός (mierós), μιαρός (miarós, “polluted, defiled”).[1] On the other hand, Orel claims a borrowing through Vulgar Latin from Latin miser[2], although this does not reflect the phonetics of Latin loanwords into Albanian.

Adjective

i mjerë m (feminine e mjerë, masculine plural të mjeri, feminine plural të mjere)

  1. miserable, woeful, unhappy

References
  1. Demiraj, Bardhyl (1997) Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz [Albanian Etymologies: Investigations into the Albanian Inherited Lexicon] (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 7)‎ (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, page 274
  2. Orel, Vladimir (1998), “mjerë”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Cologne: Brill, →ISBN, page 270
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