Albanian

Albanian Language

Albanian is a European language that belongs to the Albanian language family and is spoken by about 7.6 million people, mostly in Albania and Kosovo, as well as in parts of Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. Some experts think that Albanian is descended from the Illyrian group of Indo-European languages spoken in the Western Balkans until the 6th century AD, while others believe it descended from the Thracian or Dacian languages that were used in parts of the Balkans until the 5th century AD.

The Albanian language uses the Latin alphabet for writing, although it has also used other alphabets in the past, including Greek, Arabic, Elbasan, Beitha Kukju, and Todhri alphabets. It has absorbed words from Greek and Latin from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD, and has been influenced by the languages of Slavic and Germanic tribes that settled in the Balkans. The language also picked up some words from the Proto-Romanians or Vlachs from the 9th century AD.

There are two main dialects of Albanian: Tosk and Gheg. Tosk is spoken in southern Albania, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, and is the official language of Albania and one of the official languages of Kosovo and Macedonia. Gheg, on the other hand, is spoken in northern Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. The dialects are mutually intelligible, and transitional varieties of the language are spoken in central Albania. Albanian is also recognized as a minority language in Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia.

Albanian Dialects Map

Latin Loanwords

Albanian, like many other European languages, has also borrowed a significant number of words from Latin. Latin loanwords entered Albanian in different periods of history, depending on the political and cultural influences of the time. Some of the Latin loanwords in Albanian are:

• baltë (mud) - from Latin "balteus"
• baltëz (belt) - from Latin "balteus"
• bardhë (white) - from Latin "albus"
• fjalë (word) - from Latin "faba"
• gjë (thing) - from Latin "res gista"
• kafshë (animal) - from Latin "cavus"
• këngë (song) - from Latin "canticum"
• kështjellë (castle) - from Latin "castellum"
• libër (book) - from Latin "liber"
• mjaltë (honey) - from Latin "melita"
• rrugë (road) - from Latin "via"
• shpirt (spirit/soul) - from Latin "spiritus"
• veshje (clothing) - from Latin "vestis"
• zjarr (fire) - from Latin "ignis"

It is worth noting that many Latin loanwords in Albanian have undergone phonetic and semantic changes over time, as the language evolved and adapted to its own linguistic and cultural context.

Loanwords from Other Languages

Albanian, like many other languages, has borrowed words from other languages throughout its history. Some of the loanwords in Albanian come from neighboring countries such as Greece, Italy, and Turkey, as well as from languages spoken in regions where Albanians have historically lived, such as Slavic languages and Romanian.

• French: kuzhinier (chef), garderobë (wardrobe), restoran (restaurant), biznes (business)
• Italian: pica (pizza), makaronë (macaroni), muzikë (music), bankë (bank)
• Greek: kafe (coffee), oregano (oregano), trapezë (table), limon (lemon)
• Turkish: këmbë (leg), çanta (bag), qepë (onion), karvan (caravan)
• English: kompjuter (computer), internet (internet), marketing (marketing), biznesmen (businessman)

It should be noted that many loanwords in Albanian have been modified to fit the Albanian language's phonetic and grammatical rules.

Sample Albanian Text

Original text (Shqip):

"Në mes të qytetit të Tiranës ndodhet Sheshi Skënderbej, një nga vendet më të frekuentuara në kryeqytet. Sheshi ka një histori të gjatë dhe ka qenë dëshmitar i shumë ngjarjeve historike të vendit."

English Translation:

"In the middle of the city of Tirana is Skanderbeg Square, one of the most frequented places in the capital. The square has a long history and has witnessed many historical events of the country."

Audio Pronunciation:

Listen to the audio on Vocaroo