Gjirin

Gjirin is the Albanian noun meaning "the bay" and is widely used in toponymy to denote a coastal inlet or harbor. As a geographic descriptor, the term identifies a specific bay or sheltered coastal feature and is commonly found in place names along the Albanian coast and in neighboring regions where Albanian is spoken.

In practice, Gjirin functions as a descriptive element in the naming of bays, often paired with additional toponymic material to specify a location. The form reflects standard Albanian practices of incorporating the definite article into geographic names, so many coastal locales bear names that translate roughly as “the Bay of …” or “the Bay near ….” This pattern is typical of the region’s maritime geography, where bays and inlets play important roles in local history, economy, and navigation.

Linguistic and cultural notes indicate that Gjirin is part of a broader set of toponymic conventions in Albanian, where natural features such as bays, coves, and harbors are frequently encoded in proper place names. The usage highlights the close relationship between language and landscape in Albanian-speaking areas, and it appears in historical texts, cartography, and modern geographic naming.

See also: Geography of Albania; Albanian toponymy; Coastal features of the Adriatic and Ionian regions.