Albanian Language

Abstract

The Albanian Language is an Indo-European Language which is considered by the majority of linguists to be the direct successor of the ancient Illyrian. The origin place of the Albanian Language is supposed to be the place where currently the Albanians live and perhaps farther North. There is no doubt at all as Dardania or the present Kosova is the place where the Albanian or Proto Albanian Language has been spoken continuously until these days. The Albanian Language has two main dialects – the Northern dialect or the so called Gheg and the Southern dialect or the so called Tosk which are also subdivided into transitional dialects. The dialects differ mainly by phonetic but there are also some slight dialectal differences. Nevertheless, these dialects are mutually intelligible. The first known document in Albanian is the “Baptism Formula” recorded in 1462 by Pal Engjëlli (Paulus Angelus). The Albanian Language has undergone two official standardizations. First in 1920 at the Education Congress of Lushnje it was decided that the language of Elbasan meaning Northern Gheg to become official Albanian Language whereas in 1972 at the Congress of Albanian Orthography was definitely decided that the Tosk is to become standardized. Today, the Albanian Language is spoken by more than 7 million Albanians in Albania, Kosova, Western Macedonia and parts of Southern Montenegro. The Arvanit dialects in Northern Greece do not exist anymore but there are some other types of Albanian which are spoken in Southern Italy more exactly in Sicilia and Calabria in Zara- Dalmatia in Croatia in some villages of Ukraine and in Mandrice of Bulgaria. There are millions of Albanians from Kosovo and Macedonia living in Turkey who emigrated there, during the Second World War.