dhelpër

== Albanian == === Alternative forms === dhelpën, llêlpën, dhelpë, ledhpë — Gheg === Etymology === Unknown. Likely from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wl̥p-(e)i- (“fox”) (compare Italian volpe, Lithuanian lãpė, Greek αλεπού (alepoú), Armenian աղվես (aġves)), only possible with the assumption of contamination with another lexeme. Among the various suggestions are a compound with dhe (“earth”), or influence from dhele (“flattery”). If regional Gheg dhelbunë is an archaism and -p- arose through final devoicing in dhelpë < *dhelp#, one can assume a formation from *ǵólh₂-ibʰo- "reddish glowing animal", from Proto-Indo-European *ǵelh₂- (“to shine, radiate”). If -p- is old, however, a contamination of *(h₂)u̯l̥p(e)i- "fox" and a lost adjective *ǵólh₂-i-u̯o-, or *ǵólh₂-i-no-, "(reddish/yellowish) shining" (> Pre-Proto-Albanian *j́áliu̯a- ~ *j́álina- > *ðełə ~ *ðelə) would be conceivable. Alternatively, a borrowing from Latin volpes (“fox”) can't be excluded. Orel derives it from an earlier *velpër, via /v/ > /ð/ backing, from *velpën, ultimately from PIE *h₂wl̥p-(e)i-, however no such variant has been attested. === Pronunciation === === Noun === dhelpër f (plural dhelpra, definite dhelpra, definite plural dhelprat) fox Synonym: skile ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === References === === Further reading === “dhelpër”, 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