LANGUAGE
> INTRODUCTION
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by about
6,400,000 inhabitants of the eastern Adriatic coast
in Albania and also in neighbouring Yugoslavia, principally
in Kosova and Macedonia, west of a line from near Leskovac
to Lake Ohri. There are perhaps 300,000 more speakers
in isolated villages in southern Italy (Abruzzi, Molise,
Basilicata, Puglia, and Calabria), and Sicily, and southern
Greece (in Voiot'a, Attica, fvvoia, çndros, and the
Pelop-nnesos)
The origins of the general name Albanian, which traditionally
referred to a restricted area in central Albania, and
of the current official name Shqip or Shqip'ri, which
may well be derived from a term meaning "pronounce clearly,
intelligibly," are still disputed. The name Albanian
has been found in records since the time of Ptolemy.
In Calabrian Albanian the name is Arbresh, in Modern
Greek Arvan'tis, and in Turkish Arnaut; the name must
have been transmitted early through Greek speech.
Provided by Andi ,omo
Bibliography: Eric P. Hamp: Readings in Linguistics, Languages
of the World.
|