Albanian dialects


The Albanian language is composed of many dialects, divided into two major groups: Gheg and Tosk. The Shkumbin river is roughly the geographical dividing line, with Gheg spoken north of the Shkumbin and Tosk south of it.

Historical considerations

The characteristics of the Albanian dialects Tosk and Gheg, in the treatment of the native and loanwords from other languages, have led to the conclusion that the dialectal split preceded the Slavic migration to the Balkans.
According to the view of Demiraj, during the process of dialect split Albanian populations were roughly in their present location, while Eric Hamp notes that "it must be relatively old, that is, dating back into the post-Roman first millennium. As a guess, it seems possible that this isogloss reflects a spread of the speech area, after the settlement of the Albanians in roughly their present location, so that the speech area straddled the Jireček Line".

Gheg dialects

Gheg is divided into four sub-dialects: Northwest Gheg, Northeast Gheg, Central Gheg, and Southern Gheg. Northwest Gheg is spoken throughout Montenegro, northwestern Kosovo, Lezhë, northwestern Mirditë, Pukë, and Shkodër. Northeast Gheg is spoken throughout most of Kosovo, Preševo, Has, northeastern Mirditë, Kukës, Tropojë, and northern Tetovo. Central Gheg is spoken in Debar, Gostivar, Krujë, Peshkopi, southern Mirditë, Mat, eastern Struga, Kumanovo, and southern Tetovo. Southern Gheg is spoken in Durrës, northern Elbasan, northern Peqin, Kavajë, northwest Struga, and Tirana. One fairly divergent dialect is the Upper Reka dialect, which is however classified as Central Gheg. There is also a diaspora dialect in Croatia, the Arbanasi dialect.

Gheg features

The transitional dialects are spoken in southern Elbasan so-called Greater Elbasan, southern Peqin, northwestern Gramsh, extreme southern Kavajë, northern and central Lushnjë, and southern Librazhd,and Flazian-Falazdim-whish spoken in north of Albania.

Transitional features

Tosk is divided into five sub-dialects: Northern Tosk, Labërisht, Çam, Arvanitika, and Arbëresh. Northern Tosk is spoken in Berat, Fier, extreme southeastern Elbasan, most of Gramsh, Kolonjë, Korçë, Ohër, Përmet, east of the Vjosë river of Tepelenë, southern Struga, Pogradec, Prespa and northern Vlorë. Lab is spoken in southern Vlorë, Dukat, Himarë, Mallakastër, Delvinë, west of the Vjosë river of Tepelenë, Gjirokastër and Sarandë. Çam is spoken in southern Sarandë and in parts of northern Greece. Tosk dialects are spoken by most members of the large Albanian immigrant communities of Egypt, Turkey, and Ukraine. Çamërisht is spoken in North-western Greece, while Arvanitika is spoken by the Arvanites in southern Greece, mainly Peloponnese, Attica, Euboea, and the adjacent islands. Arbëresh is spoken by the Arbëreshë, descendants of 15th and 16th century migrants who settled in southeastern Italy, in small communities in the regions of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata, Campania, Molise, Abruzzi, and Apulia.

Tosk features

StandardToskGheg English
ShqipëriShqipëriShqypní / ShqipniAlbania
njënjënji / njâ / njoone
nëntënëntënândë / nânt / nânnine
ështëështëâsht / â, osht / ois
bëjbëjbâjI do
emëremër / embërêmënname
pjekuripjekuripjekunimellowness
gjendjegjëndjegjêndje / gjênjestate, condition
zogzogzog, zëq / zëç / zëgbird
mbretmbretmret / regjking
për të punuarpër të punuarme punue / me punu, për t'punũto work
rërërërërânë / ronësand
qenëqënëkjênë / kênë / kânëto be
dëllinjëenjëbërshêjuniper
baltëllumlloq, llokmud
fshatfshatkatunvillage
qumështqumësht / klumshttâmël / tâmbëlmilk
cimbidhmashëdanëfire-iron
mundemmundemmûj / mûnem, munëm / mûnëmI can
vendvëndvenplace
dhelpërdhelpërskile / dhelpenfox