Pavarësisht

Pavarësisht is an Albanian word used as a conjunction and adverb to express concession, roughly equivalent to the English "despite" or "in spite of." It can introduce a noun phrase or a subordinate clause, signaling that an outcome occurs regardless of a preceding condition.

Etymology and function: The form comes from the combination of pa- meaning "without" and varësi meaning "dependence," literally "without dependence." Over time it acquired the general meaning of disregarding or restricting the impact of a factor. In usage, pavarësisht can stand before a noun phrase (pavarësisht gjendjes, "regardless of the condition") or be followed by a clause, most commonly with se or with a variant such as pavarësisht që, meaning "even though" or "although."

Syntax and variants: In formal prose, pavarësisht se or pavarësisht që is common when introducing a clause: Pavarësisht se ishte i vështirë, vendimi u marrë. When followed by a noun phrase, it expresses disregard for that noun: Pavarësisht gjendjes së tij, ai vazhdoi punën. Variants such as pa marrë parasysh are synonyms, while edhe pse can function as a near-equivalent conjunction meaning "although."

Usage notes: Pavarësisht is widely used in standard and colloquial Albanian. In formal writing, it often appears with a following clause introduced by se; in everyday speech, shorter constructions with a noun phrase are common. It is generally used to emphasize persistence or denial of expected barriers.

Translations: Despite, in spite of, regardless of. See also: pa marrë parasysh, edhe pse.