ndajën

Ndajën is a term found in Albanian grammar describing a verb form used to express a past action by a plural subject in certain dialects or historical texts. It is associated with the verb ndaj, meaning to divide or to distribute. In standard modern Albanian, the common past tense forms for this verb are usually presented as ndanë or kanë ndarë, but ndajën appears in some regional varieties and older written sources as a third-person plural past tense form.

Etymology and form: Ndajën is formed from the stem ndaj- combined with a suffix pattern found in some Albanian dialects for past tense. The exact labeling of its tense (whether aorist, imperfect, or a regional past) can vary among grammars, reflecting the diversity of Albanian dialectal conjugation. The form stands apart from the standard conjugation, illustrating how spoken language features can differ from prescriptive norms.

Usage: The form is primarily of historical or dialectal interest. It may appear in regional speech, folklore transcriptions, or older texts to convey that a group performed a division or distribution in the past. In contemporary standard Albanian, speakers would typically use ndanë for simple past or kanë ndarë for a perfect past, depending on the context.

Examples (dialectal/historical): Ata ndajën dorëshkrimet në dy kuti. The phrase would translate as “They divided the manuscripts into two boxes,” in a dialectal past tense sense. Such examples illustrate how regional speech preserves variant conjugations.

See also: Albanian language, Albanian grammar, Dialects of Albanian, Verb conjugation.

References: This entry reflects general descriptions of Albanian dialectal verb forms and their divergence from standard modern usage.