The Albanian Language Word "Shpresë" The Albanian language word "shpresë" (feminine noun, plural "shpresa", definite "shpresa", definite plural "shpresat") means hope. Etymological Debate According to linguists, "shpresë" originates from Latin "sperans", "sperantia", derived from "spero" (“hope”). However, I propose an alternative etymology, suggesting that "shpresë" comes from the Albanian verb "pres" (wait), which may have also influenced the Latin word. Reevaluating the Etymology of "Pres" Linguists believe that "pres" comes from Proto-Albanian "*pratja", derived from Proto-Indo-European "*prot-" (compare Dutch "vroed" (“wise, clever”), Lithuanian "pràsti" (“to understand”)). However, this etymology contradicts the etymology of "shpresë" from Latin. It is obvious that both forms of words have the same roo...
The comparative method of etymology, which is a traditional approach in historical linguistics, has some weaknesses compared to my method. The comparative method primarily focuses on comparing words across languages, looking for similarities and cognates. My method, on the other hand, delves deeper into the semantic and metaphorical connections within a language, revealing more nuanced relationships. Copyright © 2024 Fatmir Iliazi