The Albanian language

 
Albanian is an Indo-European language and it represents a separate branch of this family on the bases of its idiosyncrasy.

The Greek geographer, Ptholemeous, has witnessed the existence of Albanians and Albanian language in the second century AD.

The name "Shqiperi" (Albania) replaced the "old" name "Arberi" (or Arbani) by the end of the XVII century, due to the new historical conditions created, and aimed at giving importance to the connection between the nation notion and the use of the Albanian language, which was by that time called "Shqip".

The first written document of the modern Albanian language is of the year 1462.The first literary book "Meshari" (Gjon Buzuku) was published in 1555, and from that time the Albanian language was greatly elaborated, especially during the period of the Albanian Renaissance, in two main dialects:

"Gegerisht", i.e. the dialect spoken in the Northern Albania, and
"Toskerisht", i.e. the dialect spoken in the Southern Albania.

The literary Albanian language has 36 letters and uses the Latin Alphabet, approved by the National Congress of Manastir in 1908.

The Albanian language is also used (written & spoken) in Kosova, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia, where ethnic Albanians live.

Extract taken from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs