Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure :
118-526: The prime minister of Albania ( Albanian : Kryeministri i Shqipërisë ), officially the prime minister of the Republic of Albania ( Albanian : Kryeministri i Republikës së Shqipërisë ), is the head of government of Albania . The office of the prime minister is a core institution in the politics of Albania formed after the Albanian declaration of independence on 28 November 1912. Since that time,
236-678: A Latinis, Grecis et Sclauis ita quod in nullo se intelligunt cum aliis nationibus. (Namely, the above-mentioned Albanians have a language that is different from the languages of Latins, Greeks and Slavs, so that they do not understand each other at all.) The oldest attested document written in Albanian dates to 1462, while the first audio recording in the language was made by Norbert Jokl on 4 April 1914 in Vienna . However, as Fortson notes, Albanian written works existed before this point; they have simply been lost. The existence of written Albanian
354-471: A cabinet, which led to his resignation. Pandeli Majko succeeded Nano as Prime Minister on 28 September 1998 and focused on the preservation of public order and the fight against corruption and organised crime. His cabinet garnered approval for a new constitution through a referendum in November 1998 , all amidst continued instability in, and a large influx of refugees from, Albanian-speaking Kosovo . With
472-850: A common branch in the current phylogenetic classification of the Indo-European language family. The first written mention of Albanian was in 1284 in a witness testimony from the Republic of Ragusa , while a letter written by Dominican Friar Gulielmus Adea in 1332 mentions the Albanians using the Latin alphabet in their writings. The oldest surviving attestation of modern Albanian is from 1462. The two main Albanian dialect groups (or varieties ), Gheg and Tosk , are primarily distinguished by phonological differences and are mutually intelligible in their standard varieties, with Gheg spoken to
590-573: A common period of prehistoric coexistence of several Indo-European dialects in the Balkans prior to 2000 BC. To this group would belong Albanian, Ancient Greek , Armenian , Phrygian , fragmentary attested languages such as Macedonian , Thracian , or Illyrian , and the relatively well-attested Messapic in Southern Italy. The common features of this group appear at the phonological, morphological, and lexical levels, presumably resulting from
708-465: A comprehensive modernisation effort aimed at achieving economic and social progress and transitioning Albania into an industrialised society. Mehmet Shehu served as a prominent figure in Hoxha's government, holding the position of prime minister for a significant part of the communist period, from 1954 to 1981. He played an essential part in implementing the government's policies and exerting influence over
826-414: A contender for the office of the prime minister. After the results are certified, the president invites the majority leader to propose a prime ministerial candidate who must secure a majority from the parliament for selection. Once selected, the prime minister-elect is mandated to partake in a formal oath-taking ceremony presided over by the president. The prime minister is in charge of forming and guiding
944-1467: A day broadcasts spiritual, musical, informative and educational programmes and lectures, and has a special children's programme. A monthly newspaper with the same name, Ngjallja , is published, as well as a children's magazine Gëzohu ("Rejoice"), the magazine of the Orthodox Youth Kambanat ("Bells"), the student bulletin Fjala ("Word"), the news bulletin News from Orthodoxy in Albania (published in English), Tempulli ("Temple") and Kërkim ("Searching/Research"), which contain cultural, social and spiritual materials, Enoria Jonë ("Our Parish"). As of February 2008, more than 100 books with liturgical, spiritual, intellectual and academic topics have been published. The Orthodox Church in Albania has taken various social initiatives. It started with health care, organising "The Annunciation" Orthodox Diagnostic Center in Tirana in 1999, with some of Albania's most renowned doctors and administers health care and most contemporary health services in 23 different specialties; four medical clinics, and one mobile dental clinic. The office "Service of Love" ( Diakonia Agapes ) contributes to
1062-472: A large amount (or the majority) of their sea environment lexicon. A similar phenomenon could be observed with agricultural terms. While the words for 'arable land', 'wheat', 'cereals', 'vineyard', 'yoke', 'harvesting', 'cattle breeding', etc. are native, the words for 'ploughing', 'farm' and 'farmer', agricultural practices, and some harvesting tools are foreign. This, again, points to intense contact with other languages and people, rather than providing evidence of
1180-577: A major milestone when the nation secured NATO membership in April 2009. However, his leadership was marred by increasing allegations of corruption, misappropriation of public funds and interference in public processes. Edi Rama occupied the role as prime minister for three consecutive terms following his party's victory in the July 2013 elections . Under his guidance, Albania achieved consistent economic growth and made continuous progress toward EU membership through
1298-516: A motion of no confidence. When the prime minister is absent or incapacitated, the deputy prime minister assumes the role of second-in-command to maintain the uninterrupted functioning of the government. Their appointment and dismissal are determined by the council of ministers based on the recommendation of the prime minister. Albanian language Albanian ( endonym : shqip [ʃcip] , gjuha shqipe [ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ] , or arbërisht [aɾbəˈɾiʃt] )
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#17327761256401416-404: A new candidate. If, once more, the parliament does not endorse this subsequent nominee, it is granted an additional 10-day period to designate an alternative prime minister. If the parliament remains unable to successfully elect a new prime minister within these defined timeframes, the president retains the prerogative to dissolve the parliament. Before assuming the office, the prime minister-elect
1534-475: A number of isoglosses with Albanian. Other linguists linked the Albanian language with Latin , Greek and Armenian , while placing Germanic and Balto-Slavic in another branch of Indo-European. In current scholarship there is evidence that Albanian is closely related to Greek and Armenian, while the fact that it is a satem language is less significant. Armenian Greek Phrygian (extinct) Messapic (extinct) Gheg Tosk Messapic
1652-547: A possible linguistic homeland (also known as a Urheimat ). The centre of Albanian settlement remained the Mat River. In 1079, the Albanians were recorded farther south in the valley of the Shkumbin River. The Shkumbin, a 181 km long river that lies near the old Via Egnatia , is approximately the boundary of the primary dialect division for Albanian, Tosk and Gheg . The characteristics of Tosk and Gheg in
1770-609: A result of this policy, a total of 600 Orthodox churches were demolished (1,600 present in 1944). Other buildings of the Orthodox community forcibly seized their religious function. At the end of the communist rule , when religious freedom was restored, only 22 Orthodox priests remained alive. To deal with this situation, the Ecumenical Patriarch appointed Anastasios to be the Patriarchal Exarch for
1888-852: A second statute that amended the First Statute in a second congress gathered in Korçë on June 29, 1929. Also on September 6, 1929, the first Regulation of General Administration of the Church was approved. The Patriarchate in Constantinople recognised the independence or autocephaly of the Orthodox Albanian Church in 1937. On November 26, 1950, the Parliament of Albania approved the Third Statute that abrogated
2006-451: A series of reforms aimed at socio-economic revitalisation, reinforcement of the rule of law, enhancement of the judicial system and transparency in governance. The process of selecting the prime minister of Albania begins with the conducting of general elections , in which the members of the parliament are elected through a proportional representation system for four-year terms. Political parties or coalitions nominate their candidates for
2124-588: A spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church in Albania. Orthodox parishes with active liturgical lives have been established in a majority of cities and villages. Liturgical, preaching, and catechism ministries have been expanded, increasing the participation of both clergy and laity. Several groups have been organized to assist the church with its ministries: the Orthodox Women, and Orthodox Intellectuals. The moral and spiritual strength offered through
2242-933: A strong sense of identity and are unique in that they speak an archaic dialect of Tosk Albanian called Arbëresh . In the United States and Canada, there are approximately 250,000 Albanian speakers. It is primarily spoken on the East Coast of the United States, in cities like New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit, as well as in parts of the states of New Jersey, Ohio, and Connecticut. In Argentina, there are nearly 40,000 Albanian speakers , mostly in Buenos Aires. Approximately 1.3 million people of Albanian ancestry live in Turkey , with more than 500,000 recognizing their ancestry, language and culture . There are other estimates, however, that place
2360-402: Is Archbishop Anastasios of Albania . The church greatly suffered during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha as all churches were placed under government control, and land originally held by religious institutions were taken by the state. Religion in schools was banned. Similarly, Hoxha propagated that Albania was threatened by religion in general, since it served as the supposed "Trojan Horse" of
2478-667: Is also spoken by 450,000 Albanian immigrants in Greece, making it one of the commonly spoken languages in the country after Greek. Albanian is the third most common mother tongue among foreign residents in Italy . This is due to a substantial Albanian immigration to Italy. Italy has a historical Albanian minority of about 500,000, scattered across southern Italy, known as Arbëreshë . Approximately 1 million Albanians from Kosovo are dispersed throughout Germany , Switzerland and Austria . These are mainly immigrants from Kosovo who migrated during
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#17327761256402596-709: Is also spoken in Greece and by the Albanian diaspora , which is generally concentrated in the Americas , Europe and Oceania . Albanian is estimated to have as many as 7.5 million native speakers. Albanian and other Paleo-Balkan languages had their formative core in the Balkans after the Indo-European migrations in the region. Albanian in antiquity is often thought to have been an Illyrian language for obvious geographic and historical reasons, or otherwise an unmentioned Balkan Indo-European language that
2714-601: Is an Indo-European language and the only surviving representative of the Albanoid branch , which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan group . It is the native language of the Albanian people . Standard Albanian is the official language of Albania and Kosovo , and a co-official language in North Macedonia and Montenegro , as well as a recognized minority language of Italy , Croatia , Romania and Serbia . It
2832-608: Is considered the closest language to Albanian, grouped in a common branch titled Illyric in Hyllested & Joseph (2022). Hyllested & Joseph (2022) in agreement with recent bibliography identify Greco-Phrygian as the IE branch closest to the Albanian-Messapic one. These two branches form an areal grouping – which is often called "Balkan IE" – with Armenian. The hypothesis of the " Balkan Indo-European " continuum posits
2950-419: Is determined by the conference of chairpersons, with a minimum of 3 minutes per deputy. Voting occurs after at least 3 days from the presentation of the motion. If the motion fails, the prime minister can request the dissolution of the parliament within 48 hours, with the president dissolving parliament within 10 days of the request. Importantly, a motion of confidence cannot be proposed during the consideration of
3068-687: Is explicitly mentioned in a letter attested from 1332, and the first preserved books, including both those in Gheg and in Tosk, share orthographic features that indicate that some form of common literary language had developed. By the Late Middle Ages , during the period of Humanism and the European Renaissance , the term lingua epirotica ' Epirotan language ' was preferred in the intellectual, literary, and clerical circles of
3186-411: Is mandated to partake in a formal oath-taking ceremony presided over by the president. The ceremony, conducted in compliance with the guidelines of the constitution, marks the commencement of the minister's official functions. During the oath, the prime minister affirms their allegiance to the constitution and laws, making a commitment to fulfill the functions of their office and prioritise the welfare of
3304-548: Is mostly Latin, including even the basic terms such "to bless", "altar," and "to receive communion". It indicates that Albanians were Christianized under the Latin-based liturgy and ecclesiastical order which would be known as "Roman Catholic" in later centuries. Ecclesiastically, Christians in Albania, as part of the province of Illyricum , were under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome (2nd-8th century). From 732 to 733 AD
3422-598: Is spoken in North-western Greece, while Arvanitika is spoken by the Arvanites in southern Greece. In addition, Arbëresh is spoken by the Arbëreshë people, descendants of 15th and 16th century migrants who settled in southeastern Italy, in small communities in the regions of Sicily and Calabria . These settlements originated from the (Arvanites) communities probably of Peloponnese known as Morea in
3540-486: Is spoken in the south, and Gheg spoken in the north. Standard Albanian is based on the Tosk dialect. The Shkumbin River is the rough dividing line between the two dialects. Gheg is divided into four sub-dialects: Northwest Gheg, Northeast Gheg, Central Gheg and Southern Gheg. It is primarily spoken in northern Albania, Kosovo , and throughout Montenegro and northwestern North Macedonia . One fairly divergent dialect
3658-576: Is the Upper Reka dialect , which is however classified as Central Gheg. There is also a diaspora dialect in Croatia , the Arbanasi dialect . Tosk is divided into five sub-dialects, including Northern Tosk (the most numerous in speakers), Labërisht , Cham , Arvanitika , and Arbëresh . Tosk is spoken in southern Albania, southwestern North Macedonia and northern and southern Greece. Cham Albanian
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3776-399: Is the most probable. Although Albanian shares lexical isoglosses with Greek , Germanic , and to a lesser extent Balto-Slavic , the vocabulary of Albanian is quite distinct. In 1995, Taylor, Ringe , and Warnow used quantitative linguistic techniques that appeared to obtain an Albanian subgrouping with Germanic, a result which the authors had already reasonably downplayed. Indeed,
3894-569: Is the official language of Albania and Kosovo and a co-official language in North Macedonia and Montenegro . Albanian is a recognised minority language in Croatia , Italy , Romania and in Serbia . Albanian is also spoken by a minority in Greece , specifically in the Thesprotia and Preveza regional units and in a few villages in Ioannina and Florina regional units in Greece. It
4012-731: The Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania , is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church . It declared its autocephaly in 1922 through its Congress of 1922 , and gained recognition from the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937. The church suffered during the Second World War , and in the communist period that followed, especially after 1967 when Albania was declared an atheist state , and no public or private expression of religion
4130-463: The Congress of Dibra decided that Albanian schools would finally be allowed. Albanian is an isolate within the Indo-European language family; no other language has been conclusively linked to its branch . The only other languages that are the sole surviving members of a branch of Indo-European are Armenian and Greek. The Albanian language is part of the Indo-European language family and
4248-466: The Great Depression , Albania grappled with significant economic and financial challenges from 1930 to 1939. The government was tasked with stabilising the economy and fostering socio-economic growth. During this period, a succession of prime ministers, including Kostaq Kotta , Pandeli Evangjeli and Mehdi Frashëri , led the nation. Amid World War II , despite declaring neutrality , Albania
4366-737: The Hudson incident , it galvanised the emigre Orthodox Albanian community to form the Albanian Orthodox Church under Fan Noli who hoped to counter Greek irredentism. On March 18, 1908, as a result of the Hudson incident, Fan Noli was ordained as a priest by Russian bishop Platon in the United States. Noli conducted the Orthodox liturgy (March 1908) for the first time among the Albanian-American community in Albanian . Noli also devoted his efforts toward translating
4484-629: The Janissary of Muhammad Ali Pasha , an Albanian who became Wāli , and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan . In addition to the dynasty that he established, a large part of the former Egyptian and Sudanese aristocracy was of Albanian origin. In addition to the recent emigrants, there are older diasporic communities around the world. Albanian is also spoken by Albanian diaspora communities residing in Australia and New Zealand . The Albanian language has two distinct dialects, Tosk which
4602-808: The Korçë District , Kamnik in Kolonja , Kolsh in the Kukës District , Rashtan in Librazhd , and Nezir in the Mat District . As in other parts of Europe, these PreIE people joined the migratory Indo-European tribes that entered the Balkans and contributed to the formation of the historical Paleo-Balkan tribes. In terms of linguistics, the pre-Indo-European substrate language spoken in the southern Balkans probably influenced pre-Proto-Albanian ,
4720-812: The League of Prizren and culminated with the Congress of Manastir held by Albanian intellectuals from 14 to 22 November 1908, in Manastir (present day Bitola ), which decided on which alphabet to use, and what the standardised spelling would be for standard Albanian. This is how the literary language remains. The alphabet is the Latin alphabet with the addition of the letters ⟨ ë ⟩ , ⟨ ç ⟩ , and ten digraphs : dh , th , xh , gj , nj , ng , ll , rr , zh and sh . According to Robert Elsie : The hundred years between 1750 and 1850 were an age of astounding orthographic diversity in Albania. In this period,
4838-636: The council of ministers , presenting the nation's integral policies and coordinating government institutions. Located in Tirana , the Kryeministria is the official workplace of the prime minister and holds a crucial role in facilitating their duties and those of the council. Since September 2013, Edi Rama from the Albanian Socialist Party has served as prime minister. Following the declaration of independence on 28 November 1912,
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4956-450: The members of parliament . The leader of the party or coalition which secures the most seats in the parliament emerges as a contender for the role of the prime minister. Once the election results receive official certification, the president extends an invitation to the leader of the party or coalition with the parliamentary majority, urging them to propose a candidate for the position. The nominated candidate subsequently seeks approval from
5074-683: The "Holy Cross" in Gjirokastër in 1998, and the "Holy Cross" in Sukth of Durrës in 2007. So far, 150 new churches have been built, 60 monasteries and more than 160 churches have been repaired. Many buildings have been built, and others have been bought and reconstructed for various purposes (such buildings, numbering 70, include: preschools, schools, youth centers, health centers, metropolitan sees, hospitality homes, workshops, soup kitchens, etc.). In total there have been roughly 450 building projects. Through its construction projects and provision of jobs,
5192-692: The 14th century, but they failed to cite specific words. The oldest surviving documents written in Albanian are the " formula e pagëzimit " (Baptismal formula), Un'te paghesont' pr'emenit t'Atit e t'Birit e t'Spertit Senit . ("I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit ") recorded by Pal Engjelli, Bishop of Durrës in 1462 in the Gheg dialect, and some New Testament verses from that period. The linguists Stefan Schumacher and Joachim Matzinger (University of Vienna) assert that
5310-447: The 1929 Statute. Such new statute required Albanian citizenship for the primate of the church in (article 4). With the exception of the amendments made in 1993, this statute is still in force for the church. On January 22 - June 1 - July 22, 1993, the 1950 statute was amended and in 1996 was approved by the then-president, Sali Berisha . In particular, article 4 of the 1950 statute, which required Albanian citizenship for primate of
5428-531: The 1990s. In Switzerland , the Albanian language is the sixth most spoken language with 176,293 native speakers. Albanian became an official language in North Macedonia on 15 January 2019. There are large numbers of Albanian speakers in the United States, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Canada . Some of the first ethnic Albanians to arrive in the United States were the Arbëreshë. The Arbëreshë have
5546-647: The Albanian Church. As Bishop of Androusa , Anastasios was dividing his time between his teaching duties at the University of Athens and the Archbishopric of Irinoupolis in Kenya , which was then going through a difficult patch, before his appointment. He was elected on June 24, 1992, and enthroned on August 2, 1992. Over time Anastasios has gained respect for his charity work and is now recognized as
5664-505: The Albanian and Germanic branches share a relatively moderate number of lexical cognates. Many shared grammatical elements or features of these two branches do not corroborate the lexical isoglosses. Albanian also shares lexical linguistic affinity with Latin and Romance languages. Sharing linguistic features unique to the languages of the Balkans , Albanian also forms a part of the Balkan linguistic area or sprachbund . The place and
5782-426: The Albanian language was on 14 July 1284 in Ragusa in modern Croatia ( Dubrovnik ) when a crime witness named Matthew testified: "I heard a voice crying on the mountain in the Albanian language" ( Latin : Audivi unam vocem, clamantem in monte in lingua albanesca ). The Albanian language is also mentioned in the Descriptio Europae Orientalis dated in 1308: Habent enim Albani prefati linguam distinctam
5900-435: The Albanian language was put to writing in at least ten different alphabets – most certainly a record for European languages. ... the diverse forms in which this old Balkan language was recorded, from the earliest documents to the beginning of the twentieth century ... consist of adaptations of the Latin, Greek, Arabic, and Cyrillic alphabets and (what is even more interesting) a number of locally invented writing systems. Most of
6018-407: The Albanian national independence movement, often at great cost to themselves and their families. At the onset of the twentieth century, the idea to create an Albanian Orthodoxy or an Albanian expression of Orthodoxy emerged in the diaspora at a time when the Orthodox were increasingly being assimilated by the Patriarchate and Greece through the sphere of politics. As Orthodoxy was associated with
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#17327761256406136-424: The Albanian people toward the realisation of Independent Albania . Subsequently, during their respective tenures as prime ministers from 1914 to 1920, Turhan Përmeti and Esad Toptani were instrumental in directing Albania through the challenges of World War I . This period was marked by their dedication to preserving the nation's independence in the face of shifting alliances and external interventions. Similarly,
6254-403: The Albanian people: Albanian : Betohem se do t'i bindem Kushtetutës dhe ligjeve të vendit, do të respektoj të drejtat dhe liritë e shtetasve, do të mbroj pavarësinë e Republikës së Shqipërisë dhe do t'i shërbej interesit të përgjithshëm dhe përparimit të popullit Shqiptar. Zoti më ndihmoftë! English : I swear that I will obey to the Constitution and laws of the nation, that I will respect
6372-442: The Democratic Party's victory in elections in March . His cabinet was dedicated to further advancing democratic and economic development and strengthening Albania's international connections. This commitment culminated to the nation's accession to the Council of Europe (CoE) in July 1995. However, the tenure of Meksi faced criticism for what some perceived as an increasingly authoritarian approach and allegations of corruption. One of
6490-523: The Eastern crisis this premise was rejected by some Albanian Orthodox because of the growing competition between the Albanian and Greek national movements over parts of Epirus. These issues also generated a reaction against Greek nationalists that drove the Albanian desire to stress a separate cultural identity. The religious division among Albanians meant that Albanian nationalism could not be based on religion and instead Albanian nationalism as it developed tended to promote interreligious cooperation, from
6608-533: The Greek identity, the rise of the movement caused confusion for Orthodox Albanians as it interrupted the formation of a Greek national consciousness. The Orthodox Albanian community had individuals such as Jani Vreto , Spiro Dine and Fan Noli involved in the national movement, of which some advocated for an Albanian Orthodoxy in order to curtail the Hellenisation process occurring amongst Orthodox Albanians. In 1905, priest Kristo Negovani introduced Albanian liturgy for Orthodox worship in his native Negovan for
6726-404: The Middle Ages. Among them the Arvanites call themselves Arbëror and sometime Arbëresh. The Arbëresh dialect is closely related to the Arvanites dialect with more Italian vocabulary absorbed during different periods of time. The Albanian language has been written using many alphabets since the earliest records from the 15th century. The history of Albanian language orthography is closely related to
6844-439: The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania and the Council of Ministers signed an agreement according to the 1998 Albanian Constitution, for the arrangement of their reciprocal relationship. The agreement was ratified by the Albanian Parliament, and became law (nr.10057) on January 22, 2009. The Primate of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania is also the Archbishop of Tirana and Durrës . The current archbishop of Tirana
6962-501: The Orthodox Church is contributing to the economic development of the nation and is one of the most serious investors in the country, offering work for many local builders and dozens of workers. Since 1995, the church has put on an architecture course from time to time, each year giving more than 40 young people instruction in various aspects of ecclesiastical construction and architecture. The Orthodox Church of Albania has its own radio station, named "Ngjallja" (Resurrection) which 24 hours
7080-439: The Orthodox population being tolerated until the late 18th century. The Orthodox population of Albania was integrated into the Patriarchate of Constantinople , with the population of central and south-eastern Albania being under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Archbishopric of Ohrid , and the population of south-western Albania being under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Metropolis of Ioannina . During
7198-443: The Shkumbin river since the Post-Roman and Pre-Slavic period, straddling the Jireček Line . Centuries-old communities speaking Albanian dialects can be found scattered in Greece (the Arvanites and some communities in Epirus , Western Macedonia and Western Thrace ), Croatia (the Arbanasi ), Italy (the Arbëreshë ) as well as in Romania , Turkey and Ukraine . The Malsia e Madhe Gheg Albanian and two varieties of
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#17327761256407316-412: The Tosk dialect, Arvanitika in Greece and Arbëresh in southern Italy, have preserved archaic elements of the language. Ethnic Albanians constitute a large diaspora , with many having long assimilated in different cultures and communities. Consequently, Albanian-speakers do not correspond to the total ethnic Albanian population, as many ethnic Albanians may identify as Albanian but are unable to speak
7434-726: The ancestor idiom of Albanian. The extent of this linguistic impact cannot be determined with precision due to the uncertain position of Albanian among Paleo-Balkan languages and their scarce attestation. Some loanwords, however, have been proposed, such as shegë ' pomegranate ' or lëpjetë ' orach '; compare Pre-Greek λάπαθον , lápathon ' monk's rhubarb '. Albanian Orthodox Church Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania ( Albanian : Kisha Ortodokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë ), commonly known as
7552-400: The areas of agriculture and farming; road construction; amelioration of water supplies; educational programs on health for children; construction of rural health centers and contributions for schools, orphanages, hospitals, institutes for the disabled, elderly homes, prisons (i.e. financed by the church, where would prisoners work and receive income accordingly), sports grounds, soup kitchens for
7670-436: The aspirations to incorporate Epirus into Greece, and because those Greeks who sought an Albanian-Greek confederation took a negative view of other foreign influences among Albanians. Although Greek schools were for a while the only way Orthodox children could become educated and at Greek schools children where they were exposed to Greek nationalism, Orthodox Albanians would instead come to play an active and often leading role in
7788-455: The church, was no longer so. On November 3 and 4, 2006, at the new Monastery of St. Vlash in Durrës, there was a special Clergy-Laity Assembly of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, attended by 257 representatives (including all clergy members). At this Assembly the New Constitution (Statute) of the Church was analyzed and accept unanimously. On November 6, 2006, the Holy Synod approved this Constitution (Statute). On November 24, 2008,
7906-399: The contact between the various languages. The concept of this linguistic group is explained as a kind of language league of the Bronze Age (a specific areal-linguistics phenomenon), although it also consisted of languages that were related to each other. A common prestage posterior to PIE comprising Albanian, Greek, and Armenian, is considered as a possible scenario. In this light, due to
8024-451: The council of ministers. According to the constitution , the office of the prime minister holds an integral position in the executive arm of government as the head of government . One of the core functions of the prime minister is to form and lead the council of ministers , which include the deputy prime minister and several other ministers. The prime minister selects the members of the council and proposes their appointments for approval by
8142-408: The cultivation of a sound religious life is contributing decisively to the general progress of the Albanian society. Most parishes use the Albanian language in liturgy, while Greek is also partly used. In Greek minority areas the liturgy is accordingly celebrated in Greek. The church has prepared a new generation of clergy. Anastasios started a seminary in 1992, initially in a disused hotel, which
8260-578: The cultural orientation and knowledge of certain foreign languages among Albanian writers. The earliest written Albanian records come from the Gheg area in makeshift spellings based on Italian or Greek. Originally, the Tosk dialect was written in the Greek alphabet and the Gheg dialect was written in the Latin script . Both dialects had also been written in the Ottoman Turkish version of the Arabic script , Cyrillic , and some local alphabets ( Elbasan , Vithkuqi , Todhri , Veso Bey, Jan Vellara and others, see original Albanian alphabets ). More specifically,
8378-402: The ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Illyricum was transferred to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Great Schism of 1054 formalized the split of Christianity into two branches, Catholicism and Orthodoxy, which was reflected in Albania through the emergence of a Catholic north and Orthodox south. The official recognition of the Eastern Orthodox Church by the Porte resulted in
8496-475: The emergence of Ilias Vrioni as prime minister in 1920 occurred in the aftermath of World War I, and Vrioni addressed border disputes with the backing of several major Western nations that guaranteed Albania's sovereignty within the boundaries formed in 1913. Following these developments, Ahmet Zogu served as prime minister in 1922, concentrating on centralising power, modernising the economy and attracting foreign investments. In 1924, Fan Noli 's brief tenure saw
8614-618: The establishment of democratic institutions, the implementation of economic reforms and the reintegration of Albania into the international community. On 4 June 1991, Nano resigned from office due to political and social pressure, allowing Ylli Bufi and Vilson Ahmeti to assume the mantle for a short period, respectively. During their tenures, Albania became a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Aleksandër Meksi became prime minister on 13 April 1992 following
8732-436: The establishment of the office of the prime minister became an integral part of the constitutional framework of Albania. Amidst the formative period characterised by tumultuous political and regional conflicts, a series of distinguished ministers assumed the position, each confronted with distinct challenges that left a lasting impact on Albanian politics. Ismail Qemali occupied the mantle of the first prime minister and directed
8850-720: The events of the Orthodox Church worldwide. It is a member of the Conference of the European Churches (of which the Archbishop Anastasios has served as vice-president since December 2003), the World Council of the Churches (of which Archbishop Anastasios was chosen as one of eight presidents in 2006), and the largest inter-faith organization in the world, "Religions for Peace" (of which Anastasios
8968-420: The first Orthodox Congress convened at Berat formally laid the foundations of an Albanian Orthodox Church and declared its autocephaly. Fan Noli was consecrated as Bishop of Korçë and primate of Albania, while the establishment of the Church was seen as an important development for maintaining Albanian national unity. At the end of the congress the first statute of the church was approved. The church had
9086-459: The first literary records of Albanian date from the 16th century. The oldest known Albanian printed book, Meshari , or "missal", was written in 1555 by Gjon Buzuku , a Roman Catholic cleric. In 1635, Frang Bardhi wrote the first Latin–Albanian dictionary. The first Albanian school is believed to have been opened by Franciscans in 1638 in Pdhanë . One of the earliest Albanian dictionaries
9204-507: The first time, for which he was murdered by Greek andartes on behalf from Bishop Karavangelis of Kastoria , leading to the retaliatory murder of the Metropolitan of Korçë, Photios , who opposed the Albanian national movement. In 1907, Orthodox Albanian immigrant Kristaq Dishnica was refused funeral services in the United States by a local Orthodox Greek priest for being an Albanian involved in nationalist activities. Known as
9322-631: The government of Ramiz Alia of the Party of Labour granted its approval for the first multi-party elections in March 1991 and the subsequent elections in March 1992 . This resulted in the legal recognition of the opposition Democratic Party and paved the way for the admission of other political parties, including the Socialist Party . Subsequently, Fatos Nano emerged as the first post-communist prime minister on 22 February 1991. Nano prioritised
9440-548: The government. This ensures the efficient operation of the framework of the government, the resolution of potential conflicts among ministers, the issuance of necessary instructions and an overall contribution to the efficient administration of government functions. The prime minister has the ability to propose a motion of confidence to the parliament, focusing on significant matters related to bill or decision approval. This motion cannot involve investigations, appointments, immunity or parliamentary functioning. The duration of debate
9558-450: The increasing of midwives' and nurses' roles, offering training projects and assistance. The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania made extensive humanitarian contributions during the political and social crises ( 1992 , 1994 , 1997 ), collecting and distributing thousands of tons of food, clothing and medicine. In addition, it supported a wide range of social programs including: development projects in mountainous regions, especially in
9676-428: The interests of the country's traditional enemies; in particular Orthodoxy (those of Greece and Serbia). In 1952 Archbishop Kristofor was discovered dead; most believed he had been killed. In 1967 Hoxha closed down all religious buildings in the country, and declared Albania the world's first atheist country. All expression of religion, public or private, was outlawed. Hundreds of clergy were killed or imprisoned . As
9794-415: The introduction of sweeping reforms, including initiatives in education and land distribution aimed at reshaping the socio-economic landscape, alongside the establishment of the Albanian Orthodox Church . Zogu returned as prime minister for a second term in 1925 and further solidified his influence, ultimately transitioning the nation into a monarchy in 1928, with himself as king . With the global crisis of
9912-541: The language. Standard Albanian is a standardised form of spoken Albanian based on Tosk . The language is spoken by approximately 6 million people in the Balkans, primarily in Albania, Kosovo , North Macedonia , Serbia , Montenegro and Greece . However, due to old communities in Italy and the large Albanian diaspora , the worldwide total of speakers is much higher than in Southern Europe and numbers approximately 7.5 million. The Albanian language
10030-601: The larger number of possible shared innovations between Greek and Armenian, it appears reasonable to assume, at least tentatively, that Albanian was the first Balkan IE language to branch off. This split and the following ones were perhaps very close in time, allowing only a narrow time frame for shared innovations. Albanian represents one of the core languages of the Balkan Sprachbund . Glottolog and Ethnologue recognize four Albanian languages. They are classified as follows: The first attested written mention of
10148-432: The late eighteenth century, the poverty of the Orthodox Church, the illiterate clergy, a lack of clergy in some areas, liturgy in a language other than Albanian and the reliance of the bishoprics of Durrës and southern Albania upon the declining Archbishopric of Ohrid, due in part to simony , weakened the faith among the church's adherents and reduced the ability for Orthodox Albanians to resist conversion to Islam. By
10266-465: The latter alphabets have now been forgotten and are unknown, even to the Albanians themselves. Albanian constitutes one of the eleven major branches of the Indo-European language family , within which it occupies an independent position. In 1854, Albanian was demonstrated to be an Indo-European language by the philologist Franz Bopp . Albanian was formerly compared by a few Indo-European linguists with Germanic and Balto-Slavic , all of which share
10384-616: The liturgy into Albanian and emerging as a leader of the Orthodox Albanian community in the US. In 1911 he visited the Orthodox Albanian diasporas in Romania, Ukraine and Bulgaria. After Albanian independence in 1912, Fan Noli, who in 1924 would become an important political figure and prime minister of the nation, traveled to Albania, where he played an important role in establishing the Orthodox Albanian Church. On September 17, 1922,
10502-634: The mid-19th century, due to the Tanzimat reforms which imposed mandatory military service on non-Muslims, the Orthodox Church lost adherents as the majority of Albanians became Muslim. In the 19th century, Orthodox Albanians under the Patriarchate of Constantinople had liturgy and schooling in Greek, which was also the lingua franca in the South, and in the late Ottoman period their political thinking
10620-472: The most notable events during his rule was the outbreak of the 1997 Albanian civil unrest that resulted in a humanitarian crisis and an international intervention. Following the departure of Meksi on 25 March 1997, Bashkim Fino emerged as prime minister with a commitment to holding early elections in June . Fatos Nano secured his second term as prime minister but faced several challenges, notably in assembling
10738-429: The names for fish and for agricultural activities (such as ploughing ) are borrowed from other languages. A deeper analysis of the vocabulary, however, shows that could be a consequence of a prolonged Latin domination of the coastal and plain areas of the country, rather than evidence of the original environment in which the Albanian language was formed. For example, the word for 'fish' is borrowed from Latin, but not
10856-434: The nation transitioned into a democracy that marked a notable shift, when Fatos Nano emerged as the first post-communist prime minister of Albania. The office of the prime minister is defined by the constitution of Albania . The appointment begins with general elections , during which parties or political coalitions nominate candidates for the parliament . The leader of the party with the most parliamentary seats becomes
10974-501: The nation entered an unprecedented transformative phase under the leadership of Enver Hoxha , who acceded to the mantle of prime minister in 1944. Hoxha's tenure was marked by a commitment to Marxism–Leninism , resulting in the establishment of the People's Republic of Albania in 1946. The regime faced multifaceted challenges, encompassing widespread poverty, illiteracy, healthcare crises, and gender inequality. In response, Hoxha initiated
11092-487: The nation has navigated a dynamic political evolution spanning distinct periods, encompassing a monarchy , a communist regime and the eventual democratic order . In 1912, Ismail Qemali was inaugurated as the first prime minister of Albania, guiding the nation toward sovereignty amidst the complex conditions in the Balkans . In 1944, Enver Hoxha implemented a radical change in government, transforming Albania into an authoritarian and isolationist communist regime. In 1991,
11210-524: The nation's direction. Adil Çarçani succeeded Shehu as prime minister and maintained the position for nine years, maintaining Albania's isolationist stance in external affairs and alignment with the Eastern Bloc countries. After the fall of communism , the office of the prime minister of Albania was restored and a democratic order was established. Responding to widespread protests in December 1990,
11328-456: The north and Tosk spoken to the south of the Shkumbin river . Their characteristics in the treatment of both native words and loanwords provide evidence that the split into the northern and the southern dialects occurred after Christianisation of the region (4th century AD), and most likely not later than the 6th century AD, hence possibly occupying roughly their present area divided by
11446-518: The number of people in Turkey with Albanian ancestry and or background upward to 5 million. However, the vast majority of this population is assimilated and no longer possesses fluency in the Albanian language, though a vibrant Albanian community maintains its distinct identity in Istanbul to this day. Egypt also lays claim to about 18,000 Albanians, mostly Tosk speakers. Many are descendants of
11564-412: The only surviving representative of its own branch , which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan group . Although it is still uncertain which ancient mentioned language of the Balkans it continues, or where in the region its speakers lived. In general, there is insufficient evidence to connect Albanian with one of those languages, whether Illyrian , Thracian , or Dacian . Among these possibilities, Illyrian
11682-477: The orphanage "The Orthodox Home of Hope", a high school dormitory for girls, has also given technical and material support to many public schools. An environmental programme was started in 2001. An Office of Cultural Heritage was established to look after the Orthodox structures considered to be national cultural monuments. A number of choirs have been organized in the churches. A Byzantine choir has also been formed and has produced cassettes and CDs. A workshop for
11800-411: The parliament, with the members of the parliament casting their votes either in favor or against the proposed candidate. The candidate must garner a majority of affirmative votes to secure appointment, thereby confirming their selection as the prime minister. In the event that the appointed prime minister does not secure approval from the parliament, a 10-day window is provided for the president to nominate
11918-539: The point of its inception in the writings of Naum Veqilharxhi . Although the Orthodox were a minority among Albanians, the Albanian nationalist movement began among the Orthodox, and subsequently spread to other religious communities among Albanians. Orthodox Albanians especially in the diaspora and from Korçë and its nearby regions began to affiliate with the movement by working together with Muslim Albanians regarding shared socio-geopolitical Albanian interests and aims, causing concerns for Greece because it threatened
12036-510: The poor, and many more. During 1999, when Albania accepted waves of refugees from Kosovo, the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, in collaboration with donors and other international religious organizations (especially ACT and WCC), led an extensive humanitarian program of more than $ 12 million, hosting 33,000 Kosovars in its two camps, supplying them with food, clothes, medical care and other goods. Apart from
12154-412: The president. The prime minister is also entrusted with the duty of formulating and presenting the principal general policies of the nation. This task involves ensuring the implementation of legislation endorsed by the council of ministers. Further to these core functions, the prime minister takes on the office of coordinating and supervising the work of both the council and other significant institutions of
12272-597: The resignation of Majko on 29 October 1999, Ilir Meta emerged as prime minister and served until his resignation on 29 January 2002. Following Majko's return for his second term on 7 February 2002, Nano assumed the mantle for his third term as prime minister until 3 July 2005. In the July 2005 elections , Sali Berisha emerged as prime minister with a dedication to sustainable economic development and advancing Albania toward European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership. The tenure of Berisha achieved
12390-434: The restoration and painting of icons was established with the aim to train a new generation of artists, to revive the rich tradition of iconography. The Church has also sponsored important academic publications, documentary films, academic symposiums and various exhibits of iconography, codex, children's projects and other culturally related themes. The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania actively participates as equals in
12508-465: The rights and freedoms of citizens, protect the independence of the Republic of Albania, and I will serve the general interest and the progress of the Albanian people. May God help me! Located at Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard in Tirana , the Kryeministria operates as the official workplace of the prime minister and assumes a central role in facilitating the functions of the prime minister and
12626-478: The time that the Albanian language was formed are uncertain. The American linguist Eric Hamp has said that during an unknown chronological period a pre-Albanian population (termed as "Albanoid" by Hamp) inhabited areas stretching from Poland to the southwestern Balkans. Further analysis has suggested that it was in a mountainous region rather than on a plain or seacoast. The words for plants and animals characteristic of mountainous regions are entirely original, but
12744-564: The time, and used as a synonym for the Albanian language. Published in Rome in 1635, by the Albanian bishop and writer Frang Bardhi, the first dictionary of the Albanian language was titled Latin : Dictionarium latino-epiroticum ' Latin-Epirotan dictionary ' . During the five-century period of the Ottoman presence in Albania , the language was not officially recognised until 1909, when
12862-572: The treatment of the native words and loanwords from other languages are evidence that the dialectal split preceded the Slavic migrations to the Balkans , which means that in that period (the 5th to 6th centuries AD), Albanians were occupying nearly the same area around the Shkumbin river, which straddled the Jireček Line . References to the existence of Albanian as a distinct language survive from
12980-494: The two ecclesiastical high schools, it has established three elementary schools (1st – 9th grade), 17 day-care centers and two institutes for professional training (named "Spirit of Love", established in Tirana in 2000) which are said to be the first of their kind in Albania and provide education in the fields of Team Management, IT Accounting, Computer Science, Medical Laboratory, Restoration and Conservation of Artwork and Byzantine Iconography. In Gjirokastër, 1 professional school,
13098-421: The word for 'gills' which is native. Indigenous are also the words for 'ship', 'raft', 'navigation', 'sea shelves' and a few names of fish kinds, but not the words for 'sail', 'row' and 'harbor'; objects pertaining to navigation itself and a large part of sea fauna. This rather shows that Proto-Albanians were pushed away from coastal areas in early times (probably after the Latin conquest of the region) and thus lost
13216-544: The writers from northern Albania and under the influence of the Catholic Church used Latin letters, those in southern Albania and under the influence of the Greek Orthodox church used Greek letters, while others throughout Albania and under the influence of Islam used Arabic letters. There were initial attempts to create an original Albanian alphabet during the 1750–1850 period. These attempts intensified after
13334-456: Was allowed. The church has, however, seen a revival since religious freedom was restored in 1991, with more than 250 churches restored or rebuilt, and more than 100 clergy being ordained. It has 909 parishes spread all around Albania, and around 500,000 to 550,000 faithful. The number is claimed to be as high as 700,000 by some Orthodox sources – and higher when considering the Albanian diaspora . The Christian religious vocabulary of Albanian
13452-409: Was closely related to Illyrian and Messapic . The Indo-European subfamily that gave rise to Albanian is called Albanoid in reference to a specific ethnolinguistically pertinent and historically compact language group. Whether descendants or sisters of what was called ' Illyrian ' by classical sources, Albanian and Messapic , on the basis of shared features and innovations, are grouped together in
13570-434: Was divided: although most Orthodox Christians wished for the end of Ottoman rule, some of them - especially the upper class - desired to be part of a Greek state, some sought Greek-Albanian cooperation and a Greek-Albanian federation state or dual monarchy, and some who sought Albanian statehood. For Orthodox Albanians, Albanianism was closely associated with Hellenism, linked through the faith of Orthodoxy, however during
13688-405: Was invaded by Italy. Prime Ministers of the era, including Shefqet Vërlaci and Mustafa Merlika-Kruja , assumed significant roles in navigating the challenges posed by foreign occupation. In 1943, Germany occupied the nation, leading to the brief prime ministerial tenures of Rexhep Mitrovica , Fiqri Dine and Ibrahim Biçakçiu during the occupation. With the conclusion of World War II in Albania,
13806-616: Was relocated to its own buildings at Shën Vlash in 1996, 15 kilometres from the port of Durrës . As of February 2011, there were 145 clergy members, all of which were Albanian citizens who graduated from the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy . This academy is also preparing new members (men and women) for catechism and for other services in different church activities. Meanwhile, students are continuing their theological educations in well-known theological universities abroad. Two ecclesiastical high schools for boys were opened –
13924-735: Was written in 1693; it was the Italian manuscript Pratichae Schrivaneschae authored by the Montenegrin sea captain Julije Balović and includes a multilingual dictionary of hundreds of the most frequently used words in everyday life in Italian, Slavic, Greek, Albanian, and Turkish . Pre-Indo-European (PreIE) sites are found throughout the territory of Albania. Such PreIE sites existed in Maliq , Vashtëmi , Burimas , Barç , Dërsnik in
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