# zemër
## Albanian
### Alternative forms

* zëmër, zëmbër — Tosk
* zêmër, zêmbër — Gheg
* zembr — Borgo Erizzo

### Etymology

Uncertain. The -b- is most likely epenthetic to avoid the -mr- cluster. Theories that have put forward are:
* Akin to Arbëresh zë (“soul”). Compare Romanian inimă (“heart”), 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:
** From the verb zë / zâ (“to seize”), although this has been doubted.
** Has been compared with Ancient Greek εὐθηνέω (euthēnéō, “to thrive, bloom”), itself of unclear origin.
* Linked with Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“companion; fun”) to a tentative root Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰem- (“to move violently”), although this is very dubious.
* A connection with Ancient Greek ῑ̔́μερος (hī́meros, “yearning, love”) is phonetically unlikely.
Similarity with Ottoman Turkish ضمیر (zamir, “interior part; heart”) is coincidental.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈzeməɾ/, [ˈzɛːməɹ]
* (Gheg) IPA: [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

#### Derived terms

* lulezemër
* përzemërt
* zemërak
* zemërakull
* zemërartë
* zemërashpër
* zemëratë
* zemërbardhë
* zemërborë
* zemërbrengosur
* zemërbujar
* zemërbutë
* zemërçelur
* zemërdëlirë
* zemërdjegur
* zemërdobët
* zemërdredhur
* zemërdhembshur
* zemërdhënës
* zemërflori
* zemërfortë
* zemërftohtë
* zemërgur
* zemërgjanë
* zemërgjerë
* zemërhapur
* zemërhekur
* zemërkatran
* zemërkeq
* zemërkthjellët
* zemërkuq
* zemërlepur
* zemërlëshuar
* zemërlig
* zemërligësi
* zemërluan
* zemërmadh
* zemërmirë
* zemërndezur
* zemërndrydhur
* zemërngrirë
* zemërngushtë
* zemërnxirë
* zemëroj
* zemëror
* zemërpastër
* zemërpërvëluar
* zemërplagosur
* zemërplasur
* zemërprishur
* zemërpulë
* zemërqen
* zemërsfilitur
* zemërshkëmb
* zemërshkretë
* zemërshtrigë
* zemërshuar
* zemërtharë
* zemërthyer
* zemërvogël
* zemërvrarë
* zemërzi
* zemërzjarrtë
* zemërzhuritur
* zëmërherë

### References

* 1 2 3 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)‎ (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

### Further reading

* “zém/ër,~ra”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎ (in Albanian), 1980, page 2223ff.
* Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “zemër”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 520f.
* Mann, S. E. (1948) “zêmër”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 577f.
* Jungg, G. (1895) “ɛêmer”, in Fialuur i voghel sccȣp e ltinisct [Small Albanian–Italian dictionary], page 149b
* Rossi, F. (1875) “ɛèmer”, in Vocabolario della lingua epirotica–italiana (in Italian), page 1385f.
* Bardhi, Frang (1635) Dictionarium Latino Epiroticum (overall work in Latin and Albanian), page 15: “cor — ɛemera”