Greek κλεισούρα ‘narrow passage: mountain pass’ and its continuants (Church Slavonic клисоура, Bulgarian клисỳра, Macedonian клисýра, Alb. klisyrë and, perhaps, SCr. клùсура) are shown to reflect Late Latin CLŪSŪRAM > Proto-Romanian *kľisură ‘closure’ rather than the Late Latin CLŪSŪRAM itself, as is almost universally assumed.
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Keywords: Albanian language; Proto-Albanian
Language contact usually results in the borrowing of loanwords from at least one language into another. The adaptation of these loanwords to the phonology of the recipient language is often well-described, but the role of the morphological incorporation in the borrowing process is sometimes overlooked. This paper aims to use this method to explain some long-lasting phonological problems of loanwords from the Latin third declension into Proto-Albanian. It is argued that some of these loanwords were borrowed as masculine o-stems, probably for semantic reasons, whilst the rest were borrowed as feminine i-stems.
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Keywords: toponymy
As is well known, toponymy reflects ancient mythological beliefs. Searching for a proper explanation of the origin and meaning of a particular settlement name, our research led us to a folklore belief related to the image of the Dragon as a guardian of the spring, a variant of the demonic creature Water Bull. The study is an attempt to explain the connection between Romanian baur ‘Aurochs, Bos primigenius’ and several Bulgarian toponyms, based on the assumption that the extinct mammal aurochs is the most possible zoological prototype of the mythological Water Bull.
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Keywords: Balkan linguistics
The present study focuses on the examination of the etymology and semantic development of two words close in form and sound, but with different origins in the Bulgarian and Albanian languages – bulg. дом ‘home’ and alb. dhomë ‘room’. Based on the analysis of the origin of the two lexemes, it is proved that in the Albanian language the word was borrowed from Modern Greek δώμα ‘room’, while in Bulgarian it was inherited from Old Bulgarian домъ ‘house’, ‘room’. Becoming a part of the active vocabulary of the Albanians, the word dhomë undergoes a serious semantic evolution, while Bulgarian дом continues to be used with the meaning of the etymon without serious semantic development.
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Keywords: Balkan linguistics
This article aims to show the Greek loanwords in Bulgarian vernacular from the perspective of one religious manuscript with characteristics of a late “damaskin” from the second half of the 19th century, which was recently found in the Library of the Zograf Monastery, Mount Athos. The dialect in which the manuscript is written is from the region of Struga, today in the Republic of North Macedonia. The article analyses the way that these Greek loanwords behave on the different levels of representation of language.
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Keywords: morphology
This paper examines the grammatical features of pluralization in Russian and Albanian, focusing on the category of number as it pertains to nouns. In Russian, pluralization is influenced by the noun's ending, leading to significant variability. For example, nouns like стол (table) can change to столы́ (tables), illustrating this complexity. In contrast, Albanian pluralization typically adheres to more predictable patterns, as it seen with: tavolinë - tavolina-t / стол - столы́ (table - tables). Furthermore, the shifting of stress in Russian can clearly alter the meaning and grammatical forms of nouns, such as the dual meanings in: зáмок - зáмки / kështjellë - kështjellat (castle - castles) and замóк - замкú / kyç - kyçe ( lock - locks) depending on stress placement. In Russian, stress tends to be more consistent across various semantico-grammatical forms, exemplified by the forms: нéбо - небесá / qiell - qiejtë (sky - skies). This comparative analysis also addresses collective nouns and their expressions in both languages, such as духú (plural) / parfum (singular) (perfume), which demonstrates differing pluralization processes. By exploring these grammatical features, the study provides insights into the unique semantico-grammatical structures and complexities of forms in Russian and Albanian. Ultimately, this analysis highlights important differences and offers a foundation for effective language teaching strategies for both languages.
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Keywords: lexical aspect; Bulgarian
The internal structure of the situations described by the verb determines the lexical aspect (or Aktionsart) of that particular verb. Following Z. Vendler’s classification (Vendler 1967), verbs can be categorized into four aspectual classes: activities, accomplishments, achievements and states. The main topic of this paper is to present the syntactic structure of some of the activity predicates in Bulgarian. Activity verbs denote predicates of homogeneous events that take time but have no inherent temporal endpoint. They are semantic primitives, i.e. they are not derived from another aspectual class of predicates. We consider primary action verbs from three semantic subgroups: consumption, creation, and surface contact verbs and analyze their syntactic realization in terms of the second argument (direct object) and the presence of an incremental theme in the verbal phrase.
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Keywords: syntax
We consider here the possessive adjectives without and with an article, in prenominal and postnominal position, how they modify Albanian NP where the head is a common noun and in cases where it is a kinship noun. The focus of the paper is on the definite marker (DEF) of the head noun and on article position in DP that dominates NP. Considering Albanian as a language with a relatively rich morphology it can be more explanatory to use functional categories between NP and DP and above DP. All structural representations follow the X-bar theory.
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Keywords: Bulgarian literature; translation
The problems of reception and translation of Bulgarian literature in Greece, especially as regards their contemporary period of development after the Second World War, are thoroughly and comprehensively addressed by M. Nihoriti in her study “Bulgarian-Greek Literary Relationships after the Second World War until the year of 2000”. Without intending to present in detail all the aspects of interconnection and interaction along thе chain author-translator-work (translation)-recipient, the article outlines the translation work of Gypriot, Greek and Bulgarian translators presenting Bulgarian authors (Georgi Gospodinov, Amelia Licheva, etc.) to the Greek reader.
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Keywords: Romanian literature
This article discusses Alina Nelega’s novel „A cloud in the shape of a camel“ as a contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare's play „Hamlet“. Nelega’s novel is a psychological novel built on the foundation of a classic intrigue (dead/murdered father, mother having an affair with another man, and confused/insane son). The novel’s plot allows the author to develop her imagery rich in sensory details, and to tell her version of a basic human theme from the perspective of a mother desperate to find a way to get her son back.
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Keywords: South Slavic Literatures
The article aims to present a possible interpretative framework for studying the place of South Slavic Literatures in the cultural-civilizational map of the Balkans from the point of view of the structural homogeneity or heterogeneity of the South Slavic literary space in the period up to the middle of the XIX century. The analysis of literary development leads to the identification of two cultural models and two types of differently structured cultural zones. The differences between them can be defined in terms of the relationships homogeneity-heterogeneity, monism-pluralism, universal-local. From the perspective of the question of the unity or plurality of the cultures of the Balkans, the presence of South Slavic Literatures supports the thesis about the multi-layered and multi-component nature of the Balkan cultural space and reveals its internal contradictions.
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Keywords: Balkan literatures
The text will present the topic through several works by Bulgarian and Romanian authors that interpret totalitarian evil, communist repression, and the memory of these events. In a comparative perspective, we will attempt to illustrate the possibilities of literature to confront social fears and the state violence that provokes forgetting. Our focus is on works by Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu, Toni Nikolov, Teodora Dimova, Maria Stepanova, Kiril Topalov, and others.
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Keywords: Balkan literatures
The article offers an insight into the great theme of reincarnation in two literatures Turkish and Bulgarian - mentally very close, due to the common historical fate of the peoples, but philologically and culturally (ethno-religiously) too distant. Despite all this, it turns out that even in such diametrically distant times, philosophy, traditions and interests, authors such as Orhan Pamuk, Yordan Radichkov, Georgi Gospodinov, Elif Shafak, Rosemary Demeo, Ahmed Umit, Ahmed Hamdi Tanpanar, Victoria Beshliyska, etc. intersection points can be drawn.
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Keywords: Ethnology
This study analyzes the traditional clothing of the Gorani people in Borje village, Kukës, based on data collected through questionnaires and in interviews with residents of different age groups. Special attention is given to the role of traditional garments in cultural ceremonies and daily life, as well as the changes that have occurred over time in the composition and use of these clothes. The results show that traditional clothing plays a significant role in preserving the cultural identity and heritage of the Gorani, although their use is now mostly limited to ceremonial events and large festivals.
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In the early Christian era, amulet texts in the form of prayers, spells, short stories, and seals were increasingly used for protection against diseases and evil spirits, as well as for safeguarding pregnant women and their unborn children. Although the church declared these types of texts apocryphal, this did not hinder their widespread distribution and use in the Balkans. During the Middle Ages, the story of Saint Sisinnius and his struggle with the witch Gellouda, who steals the children of his sister, became particularly popular. The legend serves as the core of many written amulets in the Balkans, with the female demon and her transformations being a central image in all versions.
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Keywords: History
A brief overview of a phenomenon in the field of defensive facilities and representative villa structures from the Late Antiquity era is made. At that time, several residential complexes were erected in various Balkan regions such as Spalatum, Felix Romuliana, Šarkamen, Villa Mediana and Scretisca. Based on their architectural structure, conception and specific historical conditions, they can be divided into two main groups: residences-castеllos as well as large villas and palace complexes. According to their functions, their development lasted from ca. 300 to ca. 378/443 AD.
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Keywords: Cultural history
In this paper we will focus on the objects of folk art from Balkan countries that are in function in the open-air rag and bone market in Athens today. We deal with a very singular and unusual type of emotional management and evaluation involving types of Greek and Balkan (Bulgarian, Albanian and Serbian) cultural heritage and, more particularly, the management and evaluation involving examples of Greek and Balkan folk art. Also, we focus above all on the buyers and on their feelings (positive and negatives feelings). Finally, we focus on the commercial networks in Greece and in the Balkans that facilitate the transport of objects, in particular items of folk art, such as carpets, places or pieces of wooden furniture, to many countries in the Balkans and eastern Europe.
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Keywords: Cultural history
This paper focuses on the funerary monuments made by Greek sculptors which are located in the Plovdiv (Philippopolis) Central cemetery established in 1878. Plovdiv was an important commercial and cultural center, where a vibrant Greek community also lived. Some monuments in the Plovdiv cemetery are works of Greek sculptors, who were capable connoisseurs of neoclassical art and worked for both Bulgarians and Greeks, including several important personalities. Some sculptors lived in Plovdiv, while others were based in other cities, such as Constantinople (Istanbul) and Athens, as the important Greek sculptor Dimitrios Philippotis, who created a bust for Plovdiv cemetery.
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Keywords: Balkan linguistics
This paper examines the contribution of foreign researchers on the development of Balkan studies, particularly in the field of linguistics, as facilitated by the Institute of Albanology. It particularly emphasizes their role in the study of linguistic similarities and divergences in the Balkans. As an interdisciplinary field, Balkan studies comprise the study of the region’s culture, history, and languages. In this context, the paper analyzes the researchers’ contributions to the promotion of comparative studies, thereby introducing fresh perspectives into Balkan linguistics. Additionally, the paper offers an overview of these studies, highlighting their significance for the development of both Balkan studies and comparative linguistics.
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Keywords: Linguistic code
The present study examines the functioning of the road sign system in the context of the Balkan linguistic world. In order to increase caution on the road and improve safety, the road sign system should be based on a common linguistic code, combining verbal and non-verbal elements aiming to attain a unitary perception by the interpreters. The system of traffic signs – their security, universality, synchronization, state maintenance – promotes clear and reliable communication between road users, therefore increasing safety.
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