brez

Albanian

Etymology

To be split as brê (“belt, girdle”) +‎ -zë (“diminutive suffix”). The base continues Common Albanian *brê, from Proto-Albanian *brêna-, which may go back to an Early-Proto-Albanian *brœna-, from Pre-Proto-Albanian *brōna-, or directly from Pre-Proto-Albanian *brena-. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰróh₁no- (“that which binds, strap”).

Proto-Albanian *brêna- was borrowed into Romanian as *brenu > *brinu > modern brîu (“belt”), whence also Aromanian brîn (“belt”).

Noun

brez m (plural breza, definite brezi, definite plural brezat)

1. belt, girdle, waistband
2. sash
3. waistline, midriff
4. (by extension) climatic zone
5. (by extension) generation, bloodline

   brezi i ri

   the younger generation

Declension

Declension of brez

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	brez	brezi	breza	brezat
accusative		brezin
dative	brezi	brezit	brezave	brezave
ablative			brezash

Derived terms

• brezar
• brezare
• brezargjend
• brezëmbrek
• brezim
• brezje
• brezkë
• brezni
• brezore
• brezvënë
• mbrezën

Related terms

• mbreh

Further reading

• “brez”, 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

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• bèz (standard)
• prez, preza (Croatia)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bez, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeǵʰs.

Preposition

brez (Cyrillic spelling брез) [with genitive]

1. (Croatia, Kajkavian, Chakavian) without
   • 1501, Marko Marolić, Judita:

     O koliko blude ki kažu došasna,
     brez razbora sude kakono iza sna;

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1556, Petar Hektorović, Ribanje i ribarsko prigovaranje:

     Tuj se pokripismo na volju brez priše
     I pismo i jismo koliko kî htiše

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1584, Brne Karnarutić, Vazetje Sigeta grada:

     Vazda vaše vire ljubav me poteza
     Tere me brez mire jakom uzom veza,

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1759, Antun Kanižlić, Sveta Rožalija:

     a kći, moja krvca, gola je brez ruha,
     uboga brez drvca i gladna brez kruha!"

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1871, August Šenoa, Zlatarevo zlato:

     Lijepa naša gospodarica ne govori posve brez razloga.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Slovene

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bez, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeǵʰs. First attested in the 15th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brɛs/

Preposition

brèz (+ genitive case)

1. without

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

brez

1. genitive dual/plural of breza

Further reading

• “brez”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026