Albanian, Gheg

A language of Albania

Geg, Gegnisht-Shqyp, Gheg, Guegue, Shopni, Shqip, Shqyp

Gegnisht

1,200,000 in Albania (2012 UNSD). Ethnic population: 2,310,000 ethnic Albanians (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 4,116,020.

Location

Widespread north of the Shkumbin river.

Language Maps

Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro

Serbia

Language Status

5* (Developing).

Classification

Indo-European, Albanian, Gheg

Dialects

Northwest Gheg, Northeast Gheg, Central Gheg, Southern Gheg, Elbasan. Elbasan is the transitional dialect between Gheg Albanian and Tosk Albanian [als], located on the Shkumbin river. A member of macrolanguage Albanian [sqi].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; gender (masculine/feminine/neuter); definite article affix; case-marking (4 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; 29 consonant and 7 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable.

Language Use

Also use Tosk Albanian [als]. Used as L2 by Vlax Romani [rmy].

Language Development

Literature. Newspapers. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1869–1990.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Albanian, Gheg

Writing

Braille script [Brai]. Latin script [Latn], primary usage.

Other Comments

Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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Australia

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

4,590 in Australia (2016 census). Census figure of 9,180 does not distinguish between Gheg [aln] and Tosk [als].

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Bulgaria

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

1,000 in Bulgaria (2016 J. Leclerc).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Germany

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

243,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Montenegro

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

32,700 in Montenegro (2011 census).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Geg, Gegnisht, Shqip, Shqyp

Dialects

Northwest Gheg.

Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Tuzi City Municipality, Plav Municipality, Ulcinj Municipality (2006, Statute No. 5-06, Article 9). Recognized language (2007, Constitution, Article 13).

Other Comments

Muslim, Christian.

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North Macedonia

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

532,000 in North Macedonia (2018). Ethnic population: 534,000 (2018).

Location

Debar, Gostivar, Kicevo, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Resen, Skopje, Struga, and Tetovo municipalities.

Alternate Names

Geg, Gegnisht, Shqip, Shqyp

Dialects

Northeast Gheg, Central Gheg.

Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in northern, western regions (1991, Constitution, Article 7(6)).

Other Comments

Muslim.

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Norway

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

16,600 in Norway (2021 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Romania

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

Location

Bucharest and Constanta counties; Dolj county: Craiova city.

Alternate Names

Gegnisht, Shqyp

Language Status

5* (Dispersed). Recognized language (2005, National Minority Status Law, Article 3(2)).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Serbia

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

1,840,000 in Serbia (2021), including 1,830,000 in Kosovo (2021 World Factbook). Ethnic population: 1,800,000 (2021 World Factbook).

Location

Jablanica, Kosovo, Kosovsko-Mitrovica, Kosovsko-Pomoravlje, Pčinja, Peć, Prizren, Raška, and Zlatibor districts.

Alternate Names

Geg, Gegnisht, Shqip, Shqyp

Dialects

Northwest Gheg, Northeast Gheg.

Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory language of provincial identity in Bjanovac, 2 other municipalities (2009, Constitution, Article 10(2)). De facto provincial language in Kosovo.

Language Use

Vigorous. Restrictions on Albanian at Kosovo’s university since 1990.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools, in minority-language schools.

Other Comments

Muslim, Christian.

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Slovenia

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

7,180 in Slovenia (2003 UNSD).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Sweden

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

1,050 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Switzerland

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

171,000 in Switzerland (2012 UNSD).

Language Status

Unestablished.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Turkey

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

Location

Samsun province.

Alternate Names

Gegnisht, Shqyp

Dialects

Samsun Albanian.

Language Status

5* (Dispersed).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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United States

Language NameAlbanian, Gheg

User Population

66,900 in United States (2010 census). Census figure of 133,870 does not distinguish between Gheg [aln] and Tosk [als].

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

Unestablished.

Language Use

Many also use English [eng].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

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Albanian, Gheg

Primary tabs

A language of Albania

Also spoken in:

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