Albanska

Albanska refers to the Albanian language, the official language of Albania and Kosovo, and is also spoken by significant Albanian minorities in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Greece. It is an Indo-European language and forms its own distinct branch within the family, not closely related to any other living language. The language has two main dialectal groups: Gheg, spoken in the north, and Tosk, spoken in the south. Standard Albanian, used in official contexts, is based on the Tosk dialect.

The history of Albanian is complex, with its origins tracing back to Illyrian languages spoken in antiquity, though the exact lineage is still debated among linguists. The earliest written records in Albanian date back to the 15th century, with the first printed book appearing in the 16th century. The language has undergone standardization processes throughout the 20th century, aiming to create a unified literary language.

Albanian uses the Latin alphabet, adapted with the addition of specific diacritical marks. Its grammar features a complex system of noun declension and verb conjugation. The vocabulary contains loanwords from Latin, Greek, Slavic languages, and Turkish, reflecting historical interactions and influences. Despite its unique position within the Indo-European family, Albanian has a rich literary tradition and continues to evolve.