FJALORI LATINISHT – SHQIP I FRANG BARDHIT
THE LATIN – ALBANIAN DICTIONARY OF FRANG BARDHI

Summary/Abstract: For Albanian history and culture, for the written Albanian history, for the history of Albanian lexicography, the linguistic and religious work of Frang Bardhi from Zadrima, comprises a contri-bution of great importance. Frang Bardhi is the author of the first dictionary of the Albanian lexicography, of Latin – Albanian Dictiona-ry, published in 1635 in Rome by Fide Propaganda. The Dictionary was edited as a result of the climate that was created by the Protestant Reform in Europe, which, as it is known, initiated and vivified development of many native languages and literary traditions of many European people; consequently it initiated appearance (publication) of Albanian religious books. The studies that were carried out about Frang Bardhi’s work have put light on many of its aspects, nevertheless always has remained something untold. This review aims at putting forth the issue whether the Dictionary can be considered as a great or a small one, having in mind the time and circumstances when it was compiled. Scholars of Bardhi’s Dictionary, linguistic historians and lexico-graphers, continue to express different opinions. Some of them are keen to call it a great and rich dictionary, but many others consider it as a modest one. I consider that the Dictionary is more modest than allowed inside and outside conditions of Albanian linguistics of XVI. It is as such, especially if reviewed within the lexicographical develop-pments of the time, with supposed good intellectual qualifications of the author and also with possibilities that Albanian of his time could offer. Regardless of this, the Frang Bardhi’s Dictionary, in spite of being defined as a small one, in spite of limited lexis that it contains, because of its importance for Albanian lexicography; it could be called great dictionary or great beginning. Regardless of the fact that the Dictionary linguistically is modest, the Dictionary proves that Alban-ian language of XVII century had achieved such a scale of development as prejudge our historical-linguistically studies which enabled it besides private use, the use of it as a language of culture, as the language of books – argument which was proved by Buzuku, Budi and much more by Bogdani.

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