Shqip
Albanian
Indo-European (Albanian)
Albanian (Shqip) is an Indo-European isolate-branch language with ~7.5M speakers — official in Albania, Kosovo (alongside Serbian), and North Macedonia (regional). Forms its own primary IE branch (no close relatives). Two main dialects: Tosk (south, basis of standard) and Gheg (north). Standardized 1972 (Tosk-based). Latin orthography from 1908 Manastir Congress. Significant Italo-Albanian (Arbëresh) diaspora since 15th c.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Albanian
Water
ujë
/ujə/
Fire
zjarr
/zjar/
Sun
diell
/diɛɫ/
Moon
hënë
/hənə/
Mother
nënë
/nənə/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
ha
/ha/
Drink
pi
/pi/
Love
dashuri
/daʃuɾi/
Heart
zemër
/zɛməɾ/
Tree
pemë
/pɛmə/
House
shtëpi
/ʃtəpi/
Dog
qen
/cɛn/
Cat
mace
/mat͡sɛ/
Hand
dorë
/dɔɾə/
Eye
sy
/sy/
Hello
përshëndetje
/pəɾʃəndɛtjɛ/
Thank you
faleminderit
/falɛmindɛɾit/
One
një
/ɲə/
Good
mirë
/miɾə/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Albanian) languages
| Meaning | Albanian | Arbëresh | Neapolitan | Sinhala | Hdi | Konkani | Kabardian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ujë /ujə/ | ujë /ujə/ | acqua /akkwə/ | වතුර /ʋatuɾə/ | yam /jam/ | उदक /udək/ | псы /psə/ |
| Fire | zjarr /zjar/ | zjarr /zjar/ | fuoco /fwɔkə/ | ගින්න /ɡɪnːə/ | hu /hu/ | उज्जो /udʒːo/ | мафӏэ /mafʼa/ |
| Sun | diell /diɛɫ/ | diell /diɛɫ/ | sole /solə/ | ඉර /ɪɾə/ | vah /vah/ | सूर्य /suɾjə/ | дыгъэ /dəʁa/ |
| Moon | hënë /hənə/ | hëna /həna/ | luna /lunə/ | හඳ /handə/ | ʔir /ʔir/ | चंद्र /tʃəndɾə/ | мазэ /maza/ |
| Mother | nënë /nənə/ | mëma /məma/ | mamma /mammə/ | අම්මා /əmːaː/ | nəh /nəh/ | आवय /aːʋəj/ | анэ /ana/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ | pate /patə/ | තාත්තා /taːtːaː/ | baba /baba/ | बापुय /baːpuj/ | адэ /ada/ |
| Eat | ha /ha/ | ha /ha/ | mangià /mandʒa/ | කනවා /kənəʋaː/ | za /za/ | खांव /kʰaːũ/ | шхэн /ʃxan/ |
| Drink | pi /pi/ | pi /pi/ | vevere /vevərə/ | බොනවා /bonəʋaː/ | sa /sa/ | पिएंव /pieːũ/ | ефэн /jafan/ |
| Love | dashuri /daʃuɾi/ | dashuri /daʃuɾi/ | ammore /ammorə/ | ආදරය /aːdəɾəjə/ | ɓəz /ɓəz/ | मोग /moɡ/ | лъагъуныгъэ /ɬaʁʷənəʁa/ |
| Heart | zemër /zɛməɾ/ | zemër /zɛməɾ/ | core /korə/ | හදවත /ɦədəʋətə/ | ɓal /ɓal/ | काळीज /kaːɭiːdʒ/ | гу /ɡʷə/ |
| Tree | pemë /pɛmə/ | lis /lis/ | àrvero /arvərə/ | ගස /ɡəsə/ | ʔən /ʔən/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | жыг /ʒəɡ/ |
| House | shtëpi /ʃtəpi/ | shpi /ʃpi/ | casa /kasə/ | ගෙදර /ɡedəɾə/ | gay /ɡaj/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | унэ /wəna/ |
| Dog | qen /cɛn/ | qeni /cɛni/ | cane /kanə/ | බල්ලා /bəlːaː/ | ɓəzaŋ /ɓəzaŋ/ | सुणें /suɳẽ/ | хьэ /ħa/ |
| Cat | mace /mat͡sɛ/ | macja /mat͡sja/ | jatto /jattə/ | පූසා /puːsaː/ | mərz /mərz/ | माजर /maːdʒəɾ/ | джэду /dʒadu/ |
| Hand | dorë /dɔɾə/ | dora /dɔɾa/ | mano /manə/ | අත /ətə/ | xen /xen/ | हात /haːt/ | ӏэ /ʔa/ |
| Eye | sy /sy/ | sy /sy/ | uocchio /wɔkkjə/ | ඇස /æsə/ | ɓah /ɓah/ | दोळो /doːɭo/ | нэ /na/ |
| Hello | përshëndetje /pəɾʃəndɛtjɛ/ | kalemera /kalɛmɛɾa/ | uè /wɛ/ | ආයුබෝවන් /aːjuboːʋən/ | ʔaza /ʔaza/ | नमस्कार /nəməskaːɾ/ | фӏэхъус /fʼaqʷəs/ |
| Thank you | faleminderit /falɛmindɛɾit/ | faleminderit /falɛmindɛɾit/ | grazie /ɡratsjə/ | ස්තූතියි /stuːtɪjɪ/ | ʔusi /ʔusi/ | देव बरें करूं /deʋ bəɾẽ kəɾũ/ | фӏыщӏэ /fʼəʃʼa/ |
| One | një /ɲə/ | një /ɲə/ | uno /unə/ | එක /ekə/ | kələ /kələ/ | एक /eːk/ | зы /zə/ |
| Good | mirë /miɾə/ | mirë /miɾə/ | buono /bwɔnə/ | හොඳ /ɦondə/ | ɗəfa /ɗəfa/ | बरो /bəɾo/ | фӏы /fʼə/ |
Word order compared
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