shuplakë

Albanian

Alternative forms

• shëplakë
• shplakë

Etymology

Unclear. Possibly a prefixed derivative of Italian placca (“plate, plaque”) in sh-. Another possibility is a borrowing from a South Slavic language, ultimately from Proto-Slavic *šuplь (“howllow”); compare Serbo-Croatian šupalj. Dizdari suggests a borrowing from Turkish şaplak, of onomatopoeic origin. Based on Meyer, Orel suggests a borrowing from Serbo-Croatian šupljača.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃupˈlaːk/

Noun

shuplakë f (plural shuplaka, definite shuplaka, definite plural shuplakat)

1. slap
2. palm
3. measure across the four fingers of one hand, hand width
4. punishment inflicted by mountain spirits on a person who happens to interrupt their dancing or eating

Declension

Declension of shuplakë

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	shuplakë	shuplaka	shuplaka	shuplakat
accusative		shuplakën
dative	shuplake	shuplakës	shuplakave	shuplakave
ablative			shuplakash

Synonyms

• pëllëmbë, shpullë, dackë
• flakaresh, flakërimë, flakurimë
• paravesh, backë, lapër
• strunxë, shukretë, shputë, partinë
• shitë

Further reading

• “shuplakë”, 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