Rrëfim

Rrëfim is an Albanian noun meaning a narrative, account, or testimony. It refers to the act of telling events or experiences and to the resulting text or oral performance. The term covers a broad range of forms, from personal or documentary accounts to fictional narration told from a first-person perspective.

Etymology and scope: It stems from the verb rrëfej, to tell, relate, or confess. As a category, rrëfim includes oral storytelling passed down in communities, written narratives such as memoirs or confessional essays, and journalistic or historical testimonies. In literary usage, rrëfim is often distinguished from tregim (short story) or novel; rrëfim implies a focus on recounting events from a certain point of view, frequently in a first-person voice, and may carry a reflective, subjective tone.

Forms and functions: Rrëfimi can be autobiographical, documenting life experiences, or it can present a sequence of events framed by the narrator’s interpretation. It can be factual, documentary, or literary, and may blur boundaries between fiction and non-fiction depending on the author’s approach.

See also: Albanian literature; narrative; memoir; testimony; confession; tregim.