Arbërisht

Arbërisht, also known as Arbërish, is a variant of the Albanian language spoken by the Arbëreshë, an Albanian ethnolinguistic community in southern Italy. It developed from Albanian varieties brought to Italy by migrations from the Balkans between the late medieval period and early modern era and has since grown in relative isolation.

In Italy, Arbërisht is spoken in Calabria, Sicily, and parts of Basilicata by communities such as those in San Demetrio Corone, Frascineto, Contessa Entellina, Piana degli Albanesi, and Santa Cristina Gela. The language forms a core element of Arbëreshë cultural identity, sustained through village networks, religious life, and family transmission.

Linguistically, Arbërisht is considered a variety of Albanian, though many scholars treat it as a distinct language due to its archaisms and unique historical development in diaspora communities. It preserves older Albanian features and has loanwords from Italian, Greek, and Turkish through centuries of contact. It is written in the Latin script, with orthographic conventions influenced by Albanian standards in modern contexts; historical texts often used local or Italian-style spellings.

Culturally, Arbërisht remains central to Arbëreshë communities, though transmission to younger generations has varied. The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church uses Arbërisht in liturgy in some parishes, and the language has a documented literary heritage dating from early modern times, including figures such as Girolamo De Rada. Contemporary revival efforts include bilingual education, cultural associations, media, and festivals aimed at preserving the language and heritage.