kthimi

Kthimi is a noun in Albanian that denotes the act of returning or the return itself. It can refer to a person coming back to a place, home, or country, as well as to the restoration of a state, condition, or situation. The indefinite form is kthim and the definite form is kthimi. The word is masculine in gender.

Etymology and forms: Kthimi is built from the verb kthoj/kthej, meaning to return or to turn back. The suffix -im forms an abstract noun from a verb. In use, kthimi can denote both concrete returns (a person’s return home) and figurative returns (a return to normal conditions or to previous policies).

Usage: The term appears across everyday language, journalism, and formal discourse, including legal and policy contexts when discussing repatriation or the act of returning to one’s homeland. Examples include phrases such as kthimi i qytetarëve në vendin e tyre (the return of citizens to their homeland) and kthimi në normalitet (the return to normality).

Notes on nuance: Kthimi emphasizes the event of returning rather than the person performing the action. It is commonly paired with prepositional phrases to specify the destination or the nature of the return, such as home, country of origin, or degree of restoration. Related forms include the verb kthesh or kthehem for the action of returning and its various grammatical inflections.