pëllumb
The English word pigeon is pëllumb in Albanian.
The word refers to birds belonging to the Columbidae family, such as doves and pigeons.
Meaning: bird of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "the pigeon" (singular, definite), use pëllumbi. For "the pigeons" (plural, definite), use pëllumbat. While pëllumbë is the standard way to form the indefinite plural, pëllumb is also used in many contexts to mean "pigeons".
Did you know?
- The Albanian word pëllumb shares a common ancestor with the Romanian word porumb, though in Romanian the meaning shifted from 'pigeon' to 'maize' because of the bird's fondness for the grain.
- In Albanian folklore, the pëllumb is frequently linked to the concept of 'longing' in traditional songs, serving as a messenger between separated lovers.
- The Albanian word pëllumb is a linguistic cousin to the Italian word palombo, showing the influence of Latin on the Balkan region.
Examples in context
- Pëllumbat po fluturojnë.The pigeons are flying.
- Një pëllumb u ul në dritare.A pigeon sat on the window.
- Po i ushqej pëllumbët në park.I am feeding the pigeons in the park.
- Ky pëllumb është shumë i bardhë.This pigeon is very white.
Example conversation
Dritan and Arjana are walking in the city square.
- DritanShiko atë pëllumbin e vogël në tokë!Look at that little pigeon on the ground!
- ArjanaPo, duket sikur ka uri.Yes, it looks like it is hungry.
- DritanA ke pak bukë për të?Do you have some bread for it?
- ArjanaJo, nuk kam asgjë me vete.No, I don't have anything with me.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pëllumb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pëllumb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
