Vjetuar

Vjetuar is an Albanian verb that denotes the process of aging or growing older. It can be applied to living beings as well as to objects or ideas that change with the passage of time. In everyday speech, speakers often prefer terms like plak or të moshuar for people, and more common adjectives for objects; vjetuar appears more in formal, historical, or literary contexts to emphasize the passage of time or the state of aging.

Etymology and form: The word is built from the root vjet, associated with year and age, with the suffix -uar that marks verbs in Albanian and can form participles. The related participial adjective vjetruar literally means "aged" and is used to describe someone or something that has already aged.

Usage: As a verb, vjetuar emphasizes the process of becoming older rather than the current state. The participle vjetruar functions as an adjective or a past participle in predicates or noun phrases. In many registers it coexists with more common expressions like mosha, plak, or i/e vjetër, and its usage can convey a tone of formality, antiquity, or historical perspective.

Dialect and variation: Albanian dialects may differ in the exact form and frequency of vjetuar, vjetruar, and related expressions. In standard Albanian, the more everyday terms are preferred, while vjetuar remains a tool for precise or literary description.

See also: vjetër, plakje, mosha, kohë.