qyteti

Qyteti is the Albanian definite noun meaning "the city." It denotes an urban settlement and can refer to cities in general or to a specific city when used with contextual modifiers, such as "qyteti i Tiranës" (the city of Tirana) or "qyteti i lashtë" (the ancient city). The indefinite form of the noun is qytet; the definite form is qyteti, formed by attaching the definite suffix -i to the masculine singular stem.

Etymology and related terms: Qytet is a native Albanian word. The definite form qyteti is widely used in everyday language and in scholarly writing. Related terms include qytetar (citizen), qytetërim (civilization), and qytetësi (urbanity or city life), which share the same root.

Usage and context: In geography, administration, and discourse on urban life, qyteti commonly contrasts with fshat (village) and with rural areas. It appears in compound expressions such as qyteti i ri (the new city), qyteti i vjetër (the old city), and qytetet e mëdha (the big cities). In Albanian toponyms and discourse, the word often signals a focus on urban centers, governance, and infrastructure.