Vërtetësi

Vërtetësi is the Albanian noun for truth, veracity, or reality. It denotes the quality of being true or accurate, as well as the state of factual correctness, and can also refer to honesty and integrity in a person. In everyday language, vërtetësi is used to indicate that a statement corresponds to facts, or that someone is speaking honestly. The related adjective vërtetë means true, and vërtetësia or vërtetësisë are used in more abstract or formal contexts to express the concept of truthfulness or veracity.

Etymology and usage: The term builds on the adjective vërtetë with the suffix -ësi to denote the quality or state. It is part of the standard Albanian lexicon for both epistemic (factual) truth and ethical honesty. The word appears across media, law, philosophy, and everyday speech.

Philosophical context: In philosophy, truth is discussed through theories such as correspondence (a statement being aligned with facts), coherence (consistency within a system of beliefs), and pragmatism (truth as useful or effective in practice). Albanian-language scholarship and education engage with these theories in line with international debates, translating them as koncepti i së vërtetës or vërtetësia e së vërtetës.

In Albanian culture, vërtetësi is valued as both a rational and ethical ideal, reflecting the importance placed on accurate representation of facts and on honest discourse in public and private life.