Perendi
Encyclopedia
In Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...

, Perëndi is a word for God and the sky, especially invoked in incantations and songs praying for rain. It might be derived from perëndoj "to set (of the sun)", which might be borrowed from Latin parentare "to bring a sacrifice (to the dead), to satisfy" or Latin imperantem "ruling" (Alb. dielli perëndon "the sun sets", perhaps ultimately a calque on Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 ο ήλιος βασιλεύει "the sun sets", literally "the sun reigns").

Others see a connection to Indo-European *per(-kwu)- "oak god" or "thunder god" by possible association (as the god that smites the oak with thunder? see Perkwunos for a discussion of the possible etymologies of these groups of gods, the Perën- element might be related to Slavic Perun
Perun
In Slavic mythology, Perun is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of thunder and lightning. His other attributes were the fire, mountains, the oak, iris, eagle, firmament , horses and carts, weapons and war...

, from *per "to strike" perhaps, and the -di to *dyeus e.g. Greek Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...

). If this conjecture is correct, the word could have an "Illyro-Thracian" origin.
In Albanian mythology, he is the consort of Prende
Prende
Prende was a goddess of love in the Albanian folklore. She was the wife of Perendi and referred to in Albanian legends as zoja e bukuris , while her sacred day was Friday....

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