Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics
Branch of Indo-European consisting of one language which is the official language of Albania and spoken as well in parts of the former Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy (approx. 5 million speakers). There are two main dialects: Gheg, in the north, and Tosk, in the south.
Characteristics: in addition to the usual categories of Indo-European languages, definiteness and indefiniteness are expressed in the noun by inflection (cf. bukë ‘bread,’ buka ‘the loaf of bread’). Relatively complicated morphology, especially in the verbal system (highly complex tense, mood, and aspect system). Development of object agreement by proclitic pronouns. Word order usually SVO, adjectives placed after the noun. Numerous lexical borrowings from Latin and some from other Balkan languages, mostly Greek, Slavic, and also Turkish. First written documents dating from the fifteenth century.
References
Bevington, G.L. 1974. Albanian phonology. Wiesbaden.
Buchholz, O. and W.Fiedler. 1987. Albanische Grammatik. Leipzig.
Çabej, E. 1975–7. Studime Gjuhësore, 5 vols. Prishtinë.
Camaj, M. 1984. Albanian grammar, collaborated on and trans. L.Fox.
Wiesbaden.
Hamp, E.P. 1972. Albanian. In T.A.Sebeck (ed.), Current trends in linguistics. The Hague. Vol. 9, 1626–92.
——1991. Albanian. In J.Gvozdanović (ed.), Indo-European numerals. Berlin and New York. 835–922.
Huld, M.E. 1983. Basic Albanian etymologies. Columbus, OH.
Newmark, L., P.Hubbard, and P.Prifti. 1982. Standard Albanian: a reference grammar for students. Stanford, CA.
Historical grammars
Demiraj, S. 1986. Gramatikë historike e gjuhës shqipe. Tirana.
Mann, S. 1977. An Albanian historical grammar. Hamburg.
Dictionary
Fjalori i gjuhës së sotme shquipe. 1980. Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë, ed. A.Kostallari. Tirana.
Journals
Gjurmime Albanologjike
Lidhja
Linguistique Balkanique
Studia Albanica
Studime filologjike
Zeitschrift für Balkanologie
Zjarri
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