shkëmb

Shkëmb is an Albanian noun meaning “rock” or “crag,” typically referring to a solid outcrop of rock or a cliff. In everyday language, it denotes a natural rock feature rather than a rock type by chemical composition. The definite form, shkëmbi, is used when speaking of a specific rock feature or when it appears in place names.

In geography and geomorphology, shkëmb is used to describe rocky features such as outcrops, escarpments, and crags that stand out within landscapes. The term emphasizes shape and exposure rather than mineral content, and it often appears in descriptive terrain observations.

Toponymy, the study of place names, frequently uses shkëmb as a component in Albanian-toponymy. Place names containing shkëmb typically signal rocky terrain near a settlement, along a hillside, or at a coastline. Because of this, shkëmb appears across Albanian-speaking regions and in areas where Albanian linguistic influence is present, including parts of Albania and neighboring regions with Albanian-speaking communities.

Etymology and usage are stable within the Albanian lexicon, with shkëmb serving as a basic descriptor of geological features. It coexists with related terms such as shkëmbor and shkëmbi in various dialects and compounds, reflecting the importance of rock features in landscape naming and description.

See also: Shkëmbi, toponymy, geomorphology.