Where The Albanian Language Came From (Europe's Linguistic Isolate)
Author
When people find out that I teach Albanian, they usually ask me the exact same question:
“What language is it similar to? Is it like Italian? Or maybe Greek or Russian?”
The answer usually surprises them!
The truth is, Albanian is not closely related to Italian, Greek, Russian, or any other language spoken today.
It sits on its own, completely unique branch of the language family tree.
I love sharing the unique history of our language.
Today, I’m going to explain exactly where the Albanian language comes from, what a “linguistic isolate” is, and how the language changes depending on where you travel.
Table of Contents:
What is a linguistic isolate?
To understand Albanian, we first need to talk about the Indo-European language family.
Imagine a massive family tree. This tree includes most of the languages spoken in Europe and parts of Asia.
On this tree, languages have “siblings.” For example, English and German are closely related siblings on the Germanic branch. Spanish, French, and Italian are siblings on the Romance branch. Because they are siblings, they share a lot of similar words and grammar rules.
Albanian is also on this massive Indo-European family tree. But here is the catch: Albanian is an only child.
It forms its own independent branch. It has no surviving sister languages. In linguistics, a language that has no known close relatives is called a linguistic isolate.
Greek and Armenian are other examples of linguistic isolates within the Indo-European family. They are part of the big family, but they sit on their own individual branches!
Where did Albanian come from?
If Albanian doesn’t have any close siblings today, who were its ancestors?
Because the language is so old, historians and linguists have debated its exact origins for a long time. However, there is one main theory that most experts (and most Albanians) agree on.
The Illyrian theory
The most widely accepted theory is that Albanian is the modern survivor of the Illyrian language.
Thousands of years ago, a group of ancient tribes called the Illyrians lived in the western Balkans (exactly where Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro are today). As empires rose and fell, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans all conquered the region. Many ancient languages in the area died out or were replaced by Latin or Slavic languages.
But the language of the Illyrians survived in the rugged, isolated mountains of Albania. Over thousands of years, it evolved into the modern Albanian we speak today.
The two main dialects: Gheg and Tosk
Even though Albanian is one language, it sounds very different depending on where you are. The language is split into two major regional dialects: Gheg and Tosk.
The dividing line between these two dialects is the Shkumbin River, which cuts right through the middle of Albania.
Gheg (North)
Gheg is spoken north of the Shkumbin River. You will hear it in northern Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and parts of North Macedonia. Gheg sounds a bit more nasal and has extra vowel sounds.
Tosk (South)
Tosk is spoken south of the Shkumbin River. You will hear it in southern Albania and among traditional Albanian communities in Greece and Italy. Standard Albanian - the version taught in schools, used on the news, and used in official documents - is mostly based on the Tosk dialect.
To show you how they compare, here is a simple table of vocabulary differences between Gheg and Tosk:
| English | Gheg (North) | Tosk (South) |
|---|---|---|
| Girl | Çikë | Vajzë |
| Milk | Tâmbël | Qumësht |
| Sand | Rânë | Rërë |
| Voice | Zâ | Zë |
Even greetings can sound a little different depending on the region, though everyone will understand standard phrases.
Si je?
Qysh je?
The first written words in Albanian
Even though spoken Albanian is thousands of years old, it wasn’t actually written down until relatively recently in history. For a very long time, Albanians passed down their stories, history, and laws completely by word of mouth!
The oldest surviving book written entirely in Albanian is called the Meshari (which translates to “The Missal”).
It was written in 1555 by a Catholic priest named Gjon Buzuku. He wrote it to help local people understand religious services in their own native language instead of Latin.
Because it wasn’t written down for so long, linguists had a really hard time tracing its history. But the discovery of the Meshari was a huge milestone that proved just how unique the Albanian language truly is.
Are you ready to start learning Europe’s most unique language?
Albanian’s isolated history might make it sound intimidating, but it is an incredibly rewarding language to learn. It gives you a direct connection to ancient Balkan history!
Have you encountered any interesting Gheg or Tosk words in your studies?
