Substratum word, akin to Albanian katund (northern/Gheg variant katûn), or possibly derived from it. Probably of native Balkanic, possibly Illyrian origin, and ultimately Indo-European but it is a much-disputed word with numerous and varied attempted etymologies. It is also found in many Balkan Slavic languages, such as Serbo-Croatian katun (“hamlet of shepherds”), traditionally associated with Vlachs, Bulgarian катун (katun), катунар (katunar), etc.