Where does “gjysmëkafshë” come from?

gjysmëkafshë (Albanian) comes from Albanian gjysmë, from Albanian gjymës, from Proto-Albanian jūmatjā, from Proto-Indo-European yem- — to hold, restrain; to take, seize.

gjysmëkafshë (Albanian): creature with the body of an animal and head of a man

Definitions

  1. creature with the body of an animal and head of a man

Ancestry of “gjysmëkafshë”, step by step

gjysmëkafshë traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Albanian gjysmë

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Albaniangjysmëhalf
2Albaniangjymës—
3Proto-Albanianjūmatjā—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanyem-to hold, restrain; to take, seize

via Albanian kafshë

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Albaniankafshëanimal; idiot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yem- →Every word from Proto-Albanian jūmatjā →Every word from Albanian gjymës →