kukudh

Albanian

Alternative forms

• kukull, kukuth, kokudh — Tosk

Etymology

Uncertain. Probably from onomatopoeic kuku (“mourn, lament”) as the similar kukuvriq (“male owl”) suggests.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuˈkuð/
• Rhymes: -uð
• Hyphenation: ku‧kúdh

Noun

kukudh m (plural kukúdhë, definite kukúdhi, definite plural kukúdhët)

1. (mythology) revenant, undead, vampire, zombie, ghost

   Synonyms: lugat, vurkollak, vampir

   U ngrit si kukudh ― He rose like a revenant

2. (derogatory) evil man, evil-minded, wicked

   Synonyms: lig, keq, shpirtkeq

   U hyri kukudhi në shtëpi ― The evil went into their house

3. (figurative) fear, terror, dread, horror

   Synonyms: frikë, tmerr

   I ka hyrë kukudhi ― The terror has gotten into him

4. (archaic, Tosk) plague: blind female demon associated with plague and cholera and thought to have been brought to the lands by Alexander the Great after he raped an Epirote princess who would not return his love.

   Synonym: murtajë

   As të ha kukudhi! ― Not even the plague will devour you!

5. (archaic) undead Gypsy

Declension

Declension of kukudh

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	kukudh	kukudhi	kukudhë	kukudhët
accusative		kukudhin
dative	kukudhi	kukudhit	kukudhëve	kukudhëve
ablative			kukudhësh

Adjective

kukudh (feminine kukudhe)

1. wretched, miserable, desolated, alone, solitary

   Synonyms: shkretë, mjerë, vetëm

   Mbeti kukudh ― He remained a alone

Further reading

• “kukudh”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎^[1] (in Albanian), 1980
• “kukudh”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006
• Mann, S. E. (1948) “kukúdh”, in An Historical Albanian–English Dictionary, London: Longmans, Green & Co., page 223