Please read the lesson called "Grammar 101" before proceeding further.
Prefixes
Here is a list of common Albanian prefixes:
mos-: this prefix has the effect of changing a word's meaning to the opposite (creates an antonym).
Examples:
mosbesim, mistrust, from besim, trust;
mospėlqim, dislike, from pėlqim, liking;
pa-: this prefix has the effect of changing a word's meaning to the opposite (creates an antonym).
Examples:
i palarė, unwashed, from i larė, washed;
i pavlefshėm, invalid, from i vlefshėm, valid;
i pathemeltė, unfounded, from i themeltė;
sh-, zh-, ē-: these prefixes have the effect of changing a word's meaning to the opposite (they create antonyms).
Examples:
shpalos, unfold, from palos, fold;
zhdukem, disappear, from dukem, appear;
zhvishem, get undressed, from vishem, get dressed;
ēarmatos, disarm, from armatos, arm;
ēaktivizoj, deactivate, from aktivizoj, activate;
mbi-: this is similar to the English 'over-'.
Examples:
mbivlerėsoj, overestimate;
mbingarkoj and mbingarkesė, overload (verb and noun);
nėn-: this is similar, but not identical, to the English 'under-'.
Examples:
nėnvlerėsoj, underestimate;
nėnvizoj, underline;
kundėr-: this is similar to the English 'anti-'.
Examples:
kundėrajror, anti-aircraft;
kundėrgaz, (anti-) gas mask;
ndėr-: this is similar to the English 'inter-' or 'trans-'.
Examples:
ndėrkombėtar, international, from kombėtar, national;
ndėrkontinental, transcontinental, from kontinental;
ndėrmolekular, intermolecular, from molekular;
para-: many Albanian words are created by adding 'para' to another Albanian word. 'para' means 'in front of' or 'before'.
Examples:
parandiej, sense, have a hunch;
parashikoj, forecast;
parapaguaj, pay up front;
pararendės, preceding;
pėr-: many Albanian words are created by adding 'pėr' to another Albanian word. The addition of 'pėr' to a word may serve to emphasize its meaning or may result in a word that seems completely unrelated.
Examples:
pėrflas, talk excessively about someone, talk behind someone's back (created from flas, speak);
pėrafroj, approximate, from afroj, bring closer;
pėrcaktoj, define, from caktoj, assign;
Other prefixes have been borrowed from Latin or other languages and can be easily recognized as such.
Examples:
antidemokratik, anti-democratic;
dezinfektoj, disinfect, from infektoj, infect;
ultranacionalist, ultranationalist;
Suffixes
-i, -si/-ėsi, -ri/-ėri. These suffixes usually create a noun from an adjective or from an adverb.
Examples:
bukuri, beauty, from i bukur, beautiful;
dituri, knowledge, from i ditur, knowledgeable;
pasuri, wealth, from i pasur, wealthy;
trimėri, bravery, from trim, brave;
zgjuarsi, cleverness, from i zgjuar, clever;
qetėsi, calmness, from i qetė, calm;
largėsi, distance, from larg, far;
aftėsi, ability, from i aftė, able;
pafundėsi, infinity, from i pafund, infinite;
pėrgjegjėsi, responsibility, from pėrgjegjės, responsible;
letėrsi, literature, from letėr, paper, letter;
-tar/-ėtar, -tor/-ėtor, -ės, -ues. These are similar to the English '-er' which creates 'worker' from 'work'.
Examples:
luftėtar, warrior, from luftė, war;
punėtor, worker, from punė, work;
fshatar, villager, from fshat, village;
mesdhetar, Mediterranean, from mesdhe, Mediterranean Sea;
hapės, opener, from hap, open;
mėsues, teacher, from mėsoj, teach;
dėrgues, sender, from dėrgoj, send;
tėrheqės, attractive, from tėrheq, attract;
-im, -je. This is similar to the English suffixes '-ing' or '-ion/tion'.
Examples:
gėrmim, excavation, from gėrmoj, excavate;
lexim, reading, from lexoj, read;
arsimim, education, schooling, from arsimoj, educate;
pėrsėritje, repetition, from pėrsėris, repeat;
falje, forgiveness, from fal, forgive;
ikje, departure, from iki, depart;
Note: The suffix 'im' creates masculine nouns, the 'je' creates feminine nouns.
-isht. This suffix, when added to the name of a country, gives the name of the language spoken in that country.
Examples:
anglisht, English, from Angli, England;
gjermanisht, German, from Gjermani, Germany;
italisht, Italian, from Itali, Italy;
greqisht, Greek, from Greqi, Greece;
etc. Albanian is a notable exception from the above rule. Albanians call their country 'Shqipėri' and their language 'shqipe'.
In other times, the Albanian suffix '-isht' is similar to the English suffix '-ly':
Examples:
pafundėsisht, infinitely, from pafundėsi, infinity;
trimėrisht, bravely, from trimėri, bravery;
pabesisht, treacherously, from pabesi, treachery;
-shėm. This suffix creates an adjective or an adverb from a verb. It is similar to the suffix '-able' of English.
Examples:
i pėrdorshėm, usable, from pėrdor, use;
i pishėm, potable, from pi, drink;
i besueshėm, believable, from besoj, believe;
Other suffixes have been borrowed from Latin or other languages and can be easily recognized as such.
Examples:
kapitalizėm;
globalizėm;
Composite words
Albanian allows the joining of words together into single words.
Examples:
bregdet, seashore, from breg + det, shore + sea;
kryeqytet, capital, from krye + qytet, head + city;
hekurbeton, reinforced concrete, from hekur + beton, iron + concrete;
i tejdukshėm, transparent, from tej + i dukshėm, through + viewable;
bashkėpunoj, cooperate, from bashkė + punoj, together + work;
May 18, 2003 |
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