SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BALKAN LANGUAGES OR INFLUENCES OF CULTURAL DOMAINS? THE OPEN CASE OF ALBANIAN LANGUAGE

Abstract

The Albanian language, from a typological point of view, is part of the Balkan Linguistic League. The Romanian linguist Alexandru Rosetti argues that the linguistic traits shared in the grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and phonology, give the Balkan languages a special “league” status. One of the traits shared in common by all the Balkan languages is the loss or disappearance of the infinitive.

Considering Albanian, the scientific sources mention the reduction of the verbal infinitive, specifying as follows:

complete disappearance in the Albanian Tosk dialect and reduction of the same in the Ghego dialect. In our opinion, these

correct basic considerations may on the other hand be insufficient when compared with recent studies on the distribution and state of vitality of the infinitive in the Albanian language.

With regard to the Albanian language, previous studies indicate the full loss of infinitive in Tosk variety and the reduction thereof in the Gheg variety. In mypinion, these asumptions may, on the other hand, be insufficient when compared with recent studies on the distribution and state of vitality of the infinitive in the Albanian language.

The publication of the Albanian Dialectological Atlas, which provides a detailed grammatical description of the sub-dialects in the Albanian-speaking areas, the latest urban dialectology studies together with sociolinguistic studies examining popular Albanian and the substandard levels of the usus, the philological editions of old manuscripts arbëresh, but also the statistical studies on the current state of various dialects in the Italian-Albanian communities, make it possible to draw another scenario, much more detailed and concrete as regards the dynamics and the position of the infinitive in the Albanian-speaking areas.

In this regard, the presence of infinitive of Albanian language, as a representative language of the Balkan Linguistic League, raises some questions:

1. Based on such non-uniform distribution, can we agree with the idea of multiple sources, i.e., that not all Balkanisms have the same source? In this regard, it is relevant to address also the external elements of the linguistic system, such as culture and religion.


2. Considering Arbëreshë language is a fraction of the Tosk variety, how the differences in the presence/absence of infinitive in these two linguistic systems could be explained? Is it necessary to examine the diachrony of Greek language influence, as well? If so, which version of the Greek language, the old or the Modern, influenced the most, how, when, where, and in which linguistic community?


3. Taking into consideration the current situation of infinitive in Albanian-speaking areas, would Jouko Lindstedt's “Balkanization factor” be affected. He assigns each Balkan language a score proportional to the number of traits shared by the Balkan Language League.