Group Members: Bleona, Lulejeta, Nicole, and Stephanie

Consultants: Bleona Karpuzi, Lulejeta Salihi

Language: Albanian (Shqip)

 ———————————————————————–

————————————OVERVIEW——————————

 

Who within our group speaks Albanian?

• Group member Bleona speaks multiple dialects of Albanian. Her family also speaks the language as well as different dialects of it. 

• Group member Lulejeta understands it; she has a family who speaks it from different regions (Father’s side of the family from Albania, Mother’s side of the family from Montenegro).

 

Where is Albanian spoken?

• Albanian is spoken as an everyday language in Albania and Kosovo primarily and a co-language in Montenegro and North Macedonia.
• It is acknowledged as a minority language in Italy, Romania, Serbia, and Croatia.

Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia

 

How is Albanian related to other languages?

• Albanian is part of the Indo-European language family, which means it’s related to many languages like Greek, Latin, and Slavic languages but it stands on its own as a unique branch. Over time, Albanian has borrowed words from other languages due to historical connections. For example, many words come from Latin because of the Roman Empire and from Greek due to its close location. Slavic languages like Serbian and Croatian also influenced it, as well as Turkish during the Ottoman rule. Although it shares some similarities with these languages, Albanian has its distinct structure and vocabulary therefore making it different from the others.

What does it sound like? What are some of its grammatical features?

• Albanian has a unique sound, with both sharp and soft tones, and uses sounds that might remind you of other languages like Slavic or Turkish, though it’s different from them. One key sound is the “ë,” which gives it a smooth-flowing rhythm. In terms of grammar, Albanian uses cases which means that nouns change their form based on their role in the sentence. Nouns also have gender (masculine or feminine) and adjectives need to match the gender and number of the noun. Verbs change depending on the tense and who is doing the action and nouns have special endings to show whether something is definite or indefinite (like “the” or “a” in English). Albanian usually follows the Subject-Verb-Object word order but it can be flexible depending on what you want to emphasize.

 

Bell’s Criteria Regarding Albanian?

• When we look at Albanian and other minority languages in Albania using Bell’s criteria of standardization, vitality, historicity, and reduction we can see some differences. Albanian is well standardized meaning it has set rules for grammar and spelling which helps it be used in schools, government, and the media. It also has strong vitality, with many people speaking it in Albania and other countries. Albania has a long history and is important for the country’s identity. On the other hand, minority languages like Aromanian or Romani are not as widely spoken, so their vitality is weaker and they don’t have as much standardization. These languages are often only used in certain situations like at home or during cultural events which means they are more at risk of disappearing over time. However, Albanian is used in homes, social events, and within the people themselves when recognizing one another. 

 

What factors contribute to Albanian’s vitality level?

• Albanian is constantly passed down through generations as an everyday language, therefore its vitality is and continues to be high up. Millions of people around the world speak it, mainly in southern Europe. Plenty of speakers live in New York as well due to Albania’s high population in The Bronx, Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and even a few in New Jersey. 
• The strength of the Albanian language depends on several things. One factor is whether children are learning it from their parents, which helps keep the language alive for future generations. However, if many people move away from Albania to America it can weaken the use of Albanian if not presented to them in their youth. 

 

Is Albanian Endangered? How do the Speakers feel about the Language?

• In Albania itself, the language is not endangered. Albanian speakers are very prideful people who love their culture, the language included. Due to war and genocide in Albania, the language of the people has changed causing different dialects with different parts, this causes some to hate the changes and love the origin of their language. Many Albanians are prideful towards their language due to its unique mix that’s brought down by many generations from thousands of years. (approximately at least 6,000 years old)