Elbasan script
Encyclopedia
The Elbasan script is a mid 18th-century alphabetic script used for the Albanian language
. It was named after the city of Elbasan
where it was invented. It was mainly used in the area of Elbasan
and Berat
.
The primary document associated with the alphabet is the Elbasan Gospel Manuscript
, known in Albanian as the Anonimi i Elbasanit (The Anonymous of Elbasan).
The document was created at St. Jovan Vladimir's Church in central Albania, but is preserved today at the National Archives of Albania
in Tirane. Its 59 pages contain Biblical content written in an alphabet
of 40 letters
Another original script used for Albanian, was Beitha Kukju
's script of the 19th century. This script did not have much influence either.
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
. It was named after the city of Elbasan
Elbasan
Elbasan is a city in central Albania. It is located on the Shkumbin River in the District of Elbasan and the County of Elbasan, at...
where it was invented. It was mainly used in the area of Elbasan
Elbasan
Elbasan is a city in central Albania. It is located on the Shkumbin River in the District of Elbasan and the County of Elbasan, at...
and Berat
Berat
Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
.
The primary document associated with the alphabet is the Elbasan Gospel Manuscript
Elbasan Gospel Manuscript
The Elbasan Gospel Manuscript is a collection of translations from the New Testament into the Albanian language. Although it is also known as the Anonyomous of Elbasan , it is widely thought to be the work of Gregory of Durrës...
, known in Albanian as the Anonimi i Elbasanit (The Anonymous of Elbasan).
The document was created at St. Jovan Vladimir's Church in central Albania, but is preserved today at the National Archives of Albania
National Archives of Albania
The National Archives of Albania is the national archive of the Republic of Albania, located in Tirana.The Archive was created in 1949 with a decree from the Government of Albania dated 6/8/1949, as a centralized state organ. The documentary content withheld in the A.Q.SH...
in Tirane. Its 59 pages contain Biblical content written in an alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
of 40 letters
Another original script used for Albanian, was Beitha Kukju
Beitha Kukju
Vithkuqi script, also called Büthakukye or Beitha Kukju after the appellation applied to it by German Albanist Johann Georg von Hahn, was an alphabet invented for writing the Albanian language between 1825 and 1845 by Albanian scholar Naum Veqilharxhi...
's script of the 19th century. This script did not have much influence either.
Sources
- Trix, Frances. 1997. Alphabet conflict in the Balkans: Albanian and the congress of Monastir. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 128:1-23.
- Trix, Frances. 1999. The Stamboul alphabet of Shemseddin Sami Bey: precursor to Turkish script reform. International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 31:255-272.