Shënim

Shënim is a noun in the Albanian language meaning a note, remark, or annotation added to a text to provide clarification, a reference, or commentary. It can refer to a marginal note, an endnote, or an explanatory remark that accompanies the main text. The plural form is shënime. The word is formed from the verb shën (to mark or indicate) with the suffix -im, and it is common in literary, scholarly, and administrative contexts.

In editing and scholarship, shënime are used to record sources, clarify points, or offer authorial observations without interrupting the flow of the main narrative. They may appear as shënime të burimeve (notes on sources) or as shënime nën kapitujt or shënime në fund të kapitullit, corresponding to endnotes or footnotes. In everyday language, a shënim can also mean a short reminder or memo written for oneself or others.

Related terms include notat (notes) and the broader idea of shënime in editorial practice. The concept is widely used across Albanian texts, education, and administration, reflecting a common need to add supplementary information without cluttering the main text.