Bozur
Amicus
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Post by Bozur on Dec 2, 2009 1:44:28 GMT -5
Lexical cleansing: Slavic toponyms in Albania (or out of?)
01.12.2009 Marjola Rukaj
At first people in Albania thought it was a joke, but politicians in that country have proposed the creation of a government commission to “Albanize” all place names of Slavic origin…and there are many of those. A commentary
Since Kosovo’s declaration of independence, Albanian politicians appear to have gained popularity by coloring their talk with patriotism in an attempt to increase ratings rendered vulnerable by the country’s serious political and economic problems. Patriotism has become the lens through which issues like public works, economic initiatives, debates on history, and identity are viewed. Over the last few months, that rhetoric has led to the increasingly common suggestion that Albanian toponymy should be “de-Slavized.”
Current president Bamir Topi first mentioned the idea during a routine visit to a village in the country’s northeast. At first, it seemed like a simple gaffe made by a president who lacked better speech ideas for a minor event. But a few months later, Prime Minister Berisha also mentioned Slavic toponymy. Berisha, discussing the issue in one of his new government's first meetings, did not hesitate to take the idea further. “We have to create a commission to replace all the Slavic toponymy in the country with corresponding Albanian toponyms originating before the Slavic invasion,” Berisha said.
At the same time Berisha mentioned the issue of Slavic toponyms, the Albanian government was discussing the need for mandatory Albanian names for all licensed private ventures and enterprises in the country. The Prime Minister suggested that a commission be created to go through the names and apply censorship as needed. In that sense, Berisha went even further with a proposal to “Albanize” all place names in the country.
The stance, while not new, comes unexpectedly and is difficult to understand. The widespread Slavic toponyms, found all over Albania's territory, have always been a concern for Albanian nationalist intellectuals. These Slavic place names undermine a thesis crucial to the legitamacy of the Albanian nation-state and the basis of the country's nationalism: the story of Illyrian–Albanian indigenousness.
What is more, the prime minister’s statement derives from a common thesis found in Albanian classical nationalism according to which the abundance of Slavic toponyms across present-day Albania is a result of past invasions by neighboring states' and their repression of Albanian territory.
The valid view of the Albanian nationalist politicians and intellectuals is that the Slavic toponymy in Albanian lands was imposed by ethnic Slavic rulers who, at different times, dominated this part of the Balkans. This view assumes that Albanians were an indigenous people, continuously present without interruption, who were constant victims of waves of migration of other Balkan peoples. This view, in response to neighboring nationalisms, attempts to firmly exclude the presence of the Slavic population on Albanian territory.
In order to reconcile history with the existence of the present-day Albanian nation, this particular presentation of Albanian history depicts the Albanians as static and ethnically and culturally unchanged over time.
But the issue is very complex. Albanian territory is so crammed with Slavic place names that non-Slavic place names, such as those of Albano-phone, Greek, Turkish , and Italian origin, seem like a tiny minority.
Even Prime Minister Berisha’s idea to form a commission to create Albanian place names seems like a huge and costly initiative, not to mention being out of order and ridiculous on account of its primitive eighteenth-century nationalism. But for the time being Greek place names in southern Albania, Turkish ones in other regions, and Latin and Italian ones along the coast do not seem to be a source of concern.
Albanians were indifferent to the proposal and did not debate it. The only retort came from some journalists who ironically suggested that the Prime Minister should start the place name de-Slavization process in his own village of birth, Viçidol. The Albanian bloggosphere greeted the news with excitement. Albanian bloggers consider the “Albanization” of the toponymy a necessary measure, pointing to policies enacted by other various newly-founded nation-states.
The practice of renaming places is not new in Albania. Enver Hoxha's national-communism made many attempts at de-Slavization, particularly in the southeast regions of the country. Even the family names of the Slav-speaking minority were Albanized, their typical endings replaced by more Albanian-sounding, “Illyrian” endings. Some Slavic family names were fully replaced by Albanian names. The mechanism at present does not seem very different from that of the Hoxha regime. National-communism interpreted the Albanian past according to its own criteria and moulded national identity.
The fact that the issue of Slavic place names has resurfaced, even today, contradicts the Albanian government's continuous international declarations that Albania wants good relations with its neighbors. It is also an indicator of the typical way in which Albanian nationalist rhetoric cultivates a sense of victimhood and paints Albania's neighbors as continuously creeping in on Albanian territory.
But the issue extends beyond Albanian territory. It is worse in the youngest Balkan state of Kosovo where the replacement of Slavic toponyms with Albanian ones – in the tradition of one of the oldest instruments of nation-building - has been carried out. Villages and regions were renamed and the name of the new republic was also an issue. The country's former leader, Ibrahim Rugova, had proposed renaming the country after an ancient Illyrian region: “Dardania.”
Given the great problems facing Albanian political establishment and the relatively minor importance of toponymy, few take the Prime Minister's initiative seriously. Certainly the message Berisha’s statements send to the media does nothing but exacerbate the cliché of Albanian nationalism.
www.osservatoriobalcani.org/article/articleview/12195/1/404/ |
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Post by todhrimencuri on Dec 2, 2009 11:33:46 GMT -5
Besides toponyms we should also expell all Serbs, Montenegrins and 'Macedonians' (except those registered as Bulgarians).  |
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donnie
Senior Moderator
Nike Leka i Kelmendit
Posts: 3,389
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Post by donnie on Dec 2, 2009 13:20:11 GMT -5
Some errors in the article;
Actually, no. It does so only in the mind of the ignorant or ill-intentioned. The presence of Slavic toponymy doesn't disprove our continuity. Quite the contrary. Let's forget Albania for a moment. Greeks and Vlachs are two pre-Slavic nations. Their lands too are littered with Slavic toponymy. On the contrary, Slav lands, in particular Serbia, Bosnia and the Croatian hinterland, are very homogenous in the onomastic aspect, old toponyms having been swept aside by the invaders and replaced with the newcomers' own place-names. Rarely in Serbia, far more rare than in Albania, Romania & Greece, you'll find foreign toponyms. Newcomers, especially when we're dealing with a violent invasion, tend to replace the indigenous element in all fields, including toponymy.
On the other hand, we weren't invaders but invaded, hence the heavy presence of Slav toponyms.
They might seem, but they aren't. Slavic toponyms are in the minority, though a big one at that.
Either way, this is just paying back. I don't see why all Balkan nations should be able to change their toponms and we shouldn't ... or how this will affect the Slavs. It would've been one thing if there was a huge Slavic presence in the country ... but there isn't. For the sake of the likes of the writer of this article, I HOPE this is carried through.
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Post by todhrimencuri on Dec 2, 2009 13:32:55 GMT -5
Donnie, this writer is nothing more than a kurve who thinks that criticism of Albanian patriotism and the state means being more "liberal" and "European"...
A dumb kurve...
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Patrinos
Amicus
Peloponnesos uber alles
Posts: 4,763
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Post by Patrinos on Dec 2, 2009 14:47:17 GMT -5
I don't find the name changing a very good idea, even if Greece did it.
I only accept it when the population of a village, little town changes totally... like what happened in Greece in 20th century, in Macedonia, Thrace(and Thessaly less)... where hundreds of thousands of Turks, Slavs etc were exchanged with over 1.5 million Greeks from Turkey, Bulgaria etc... and in the most cases the latter gave the name of their homeland to their new place... there are tens of villages with Nea(new) in front, Nea Makri, Nea Smyrni, Nea Ionia etc etc...
I don't agree with the changing of the names genarally.
An old Greek historian said that toponyms are living epigraphes... and i agree.
PS. Between Aoos(Vjosa) and Skumbi there must have been a slavic party...
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Post by todhrimencuri on Dec 2, 2009 18:11:18 GMT -5
I support Toponymic and Ethnic cleansing of all non-Alb kaurs...
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Patrinos
Amicus
Peloponnesos uber alles
Posts: 4,763
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Post by Patrinos on Dec 2, 2009 18:36:21 GMT -5
I support Toponymic and Ethnic cleansing of all non-Alb kaurs... And Nartiotes? |
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Post by EriTopSheqeri on Dec 2, 2009 19:59:21 GMT -5
People of Narta are already fully Albanized.
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Post by EriTopSheqeri on Dec 2, 2009 20:02:51 GMT -5
As for Marjola, she has yet to publish a good article on Albania....even small insignificant issues like this are blown to proportions...she's not a liberal...just trying to look smart and modern in front of her "colleagues"...there are already 79 comments on that article... more than half made by two serv trolls...jasmina and nemanja
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Post by todhrimencuri on Dec 2, 2009 22:03:20 GMT -5
Haha yea, Nartiotes are pretty heavily Albanianized today. I was looking at photos from their easter celebration and all the signs saying happy easter were in Albanian.
Those who arent assimilated.... dont live there anymore.
But still I would support cleansing the region and repopulating it with 100% more loyal Kosova Albanians.
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Post by Caslav Klonimirovic on Dec 29, 2009 5:53:35 GMT -5
The Albanian attitude here is shocking. Fact that the two smartest Albanians here have resorted to two completely emotive responses shows how much this hurts. Face it very high chance you guys have a lot of slavic blood. Be proud of it.
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Post by shejtani on Dec 29, 2009 7:14:19 GMT -5
actually I don't support the toponymy changing. I think Slavic invasions are part of Albania's history ... Greeks did it, good for them, I don't want Albania to forget a important part of its history.
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Post by Duke John on Dec 29, 2009 7:27:37 GMT -5
Either way, this is just paying back. I don't see why all Balkan nations should be able to change their toponms and we shouldn't ... or how this will affect the Slavs. Exactly, i dont see no problem in changing toponyms, others did it too, i just wonder why there is such criticism when something is concerned about albanian patriotism and ethnic identity related things, do our neighbours feel threaten, do they already see that right now we are united like we never were before or did they began to understand that we cant be oppressed anymore and we are capable to defent our language,culture and dignity? Not long ago albanians of Montenegro, Kosova and Macedonia had zero or minimal contact with albanians of Albania, but now its totally the opposite, now its our time and its time to restore and clean our home from leftower wastes and change all the invadors toponyms. |
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Post by Duke John on Dec 29, 2009 7:31:23 GMT -5
actually I don't support the toponymy changing. I think Slavic invasions are part of Albania's history ... Greeks did it, good for them, I don't want Albania to forget a important part of its history. did invadors remember or respected natives? they were invadors! i dont have nothing against for the toponyms from Bulgarian era but all the othes must go. |
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Post by Duke John on Dec 29, 2009 7:42:06 GMT -5
The Albanian attitude here is shocking. Fact that the two smartest Albanians here have resorted to two completely emotive responses shows how much this hurts. Face it very high chance you guys have a lot of slavic blood. Be proud of it. Yes it is SHOCKING  , we are not that weak anymore to be opressed and we cant be opressed anymore so yea for you it must be very shocking, and about the slavic blood, if we had slavic blood in a sence that you believe then we wouldent be albanians,we would be a slavic nation, unfortunately for you we are not  , there are many slavic nations and you were not accurate telling us which slavic nations blood we have? if you mean that we have serbian blood then there is nothing to be proud of, it would have been shameful. |
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Post by ngadhnjyesi on Dec 29, 2009 10:29:00 GMT -5
Face it very high chance you guys have a lot of slavic blood. Be proud of it. I would undergo a whole body blood replacement if I found out I had any Serb/Greek blood in me. Luckily for me my ancestors lived in the highlands and were Catholics before they converted to Bektashis. |
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Post by Caslav Klonimirovic on Dec 29, 2009 10:50:41 GMT -5
www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4769&PN=4About this issue, one of the most distinguished Albanian historians had to say, in 1955, in front of an audience of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow, more or less the following: "The bourgeois science has always tried to deny the historic, ethnic and language links between Albanians and the Slavs. We won't fall into this trap. There's no reason to deny that there is Slavic blood running in our veins, and we are proud of it." -------------------------- I am very sure that Albanians have assimilated a large slavic ethnogenisis through a few main points; 1. Slavic toponyms - represented in 1/3 of Albania. 2. Physical Anthropology/Genetics - Albanians more closely display slavic physical traits - morseso then the more historical ethnicity the Greeks which they should be closer to. Any way you look at it genetics paints a close link between south slavs and Albanians. 3. History - much of Albania was contained within slavic medieval states of the Bulgarians and Serbs for whom barely a trace remains of them in population statistics. -------------------------- Wanting to be Illyrians who are known for well nothing rather than slavs who are known for many wonderous contributions to society is beyond me.
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Post by ngadhnjyesi on Dec 29, 2009 11:05:28 GMT -5
Wanting to be Illyrians who are known for well nothing rather than slavs who are known for many wonderous contributions to society is beyond me. We are Albanians dude and have no need to associate ourselves with either the Hellenic stock (which we could have done very easily) the Slavs (easily done as well) or the Turkish stock (easiest of all). We may have contributed nothing to society and may as well never contribute anything but we'll always be Albanian. It was unfortunate for us to still be associated with the Ottoman empire when our neighbors grabbed most of our lands. Our neighbors have always underestimated because we didn't have a backer you you did in Russia and Greece in Western Europe but we keep trodding along. We got our independence 100 years after our neighbors so we're playing catch up for now. You have some Albanian blood in you and a Slav conscience that is why you're trying so hard to make such a connection but it is futile sir we have nothing in common with you the Greeks or the Turks. |
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Post by L0gjICK on Dec 29, 2009 11:33:36 GMT -5
There has to be some Slavic blood, even marriages between Northern Albanians and Serbs were somewhat common before the Ottomans arrived. I believe Edith Durham mentions this in one of her books. And to think that Slavic invaders did not leave a trace would be naïve. Most Albanians do not like to admit they are anything but Albanian, however, if you look at some Albanians, you will see some similarities with that of our neighbors. However I do think Albanians are still somewhat distinguishable. Look at Rexxy for example, he could not pass for a Serb IMO. Maybe a Greek, but that would be a stretch as well (sorry for the insult Rexxy  .) As for that Highduke source, you need to take the time frame when the quote was made. Albania was a communist country and Albania relied on Russian aid, thus, making a speech in front of a Russian audicience such as that would only bolster Albanian-Russian relations. Funny though, I bet a Serb would consider 99% of the sources and speeches to be propaganda during the communist time (which the majority of it was) but I guess the one the quote that suits your needs is concrete proof and unbiased. |
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Post by coke&broke on Dec 29, 2009 11:46:42 GMT -5
Face it very high chance you guys have a lot of slavic blood. Be proud of it. I would undergo a whole body blood replacement if I found out I had any Serb/Greek blood in me. Luckily for me my ancestors lived in the highlands and were Catholics before they converted to Bektashis.Thankfully, I am the same. Ancestors who were Catholic highlanders dwelling in remote highlands near Shkoder who settled Kosova about 300-400 years ago. I'd hate it if I had any Magjup Slav blood coarsing through my veins. |
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, we are not that weak anymore to be opressed and we cant be opressed anymore so yea for you it must be very shocking, and about the slavic blood, if we had slavic blood in a sence that you believe then we wouldent be albanians,we would be a slavic nation, unfortunately for you we are not 
, there are many slavic nations and you were not accurate telling us which slavic nations blood we have? if you mean that we have serbian blood then there is nothing to be proud of, it would have been shameful.
.) As for that Highduke source, you need to take the time frame when the quote was made. Albania was a communist country and Albania relied on Russian aid, thus, making a speech in front of a Russian audicience such as that would only bolster Albanian-Russian relations. Funny though, I bet a Serb would consider 99% of the sources and speeches to be propaganda during the communist time (which the majority of it was) but I guess the one the quote that suits your needs is concrete proof and unbiased. 
