Turkish Loanwords in Albanian Language

Abstract

According to today's Dictionary of the Albanian language, loanwords are the words or other linguistic units that are taken from another language and used in native language. Continuous contacts of the Albanian people, with other peoples have left their mark in our language, especially in the lexicon. The lexicon of Albanian language has loanwords from Ancient and Modern Greek, from Latin, from Turkish and later on from Italian, the Balkan Slavic languages etc. Geographic factors (many conquests, proximity to other countries), the subsequent globalization (the spread of scientific terms, technical and new words) is factors that have contributed to the spread of loanwords and their incorporation into the Albanian language vocabulary. In the vocabulary of Albanian language there is a substantial number of words form Turkish sources. (Contacts between Albanian and Turkish have lasted for more than five centuries. They have already started in the second half of the fourteenth century and have become intense after the Turkish invasion in Albania. The objective of this paper is to outline the impact of Turkish language into Albanian language, through Turkish linguistic borrowings, which have entered in Albanian language vocabulary in different periods. We also aim to identify Turkish lexemes that have been used and continue to be used in the Albanian language, and their replacement with words from the Albanian dictionary. Turkish has exerted much influence on the Albanian language, especially in the vocabulary, leaving intact the phonetic system and the structure of Albanian, except of the penetration of some Turkish suffixes. Even so, Albanian language has succeeded to maintain its authenticity. Nevertheless, efforts to clearing the Albanian language vocabulary from foreign words in general and Turkish loanwords especially, have started since the time of the conquests and continue until today in a struggle to keep our language's uniqueness.