Gheg Albanian

Gheg
Region	Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro (Ulcinj), Serbia (Preševo Valley)
Native speakers	2,800,000 (quoted from Omniglot.com)
Language family	Indo-European Albanian Gheg
Language codes
ISO 639-3	aln

A map showing Gheg speakers in blue

Gheg (or Geg) is one of the two major dialects of the Albanian language. The other is Tosk, which is the main basis for the standard form of Albanian. The dividing line between these two dialects is the Shkumbin River, which winds its way through central Albania.

Gheg is spoken in Northern Albania, Kosovo, parts of the Republic of Macedonia, and Montenegro (Albanian: Mali i Zi), and by the Albanians of southern Serbia (mostly the cities of Preševo, Bujanovac, and Medveđa), (Albanian: Preshevë, Bujanovc, Medvegjë).

Origin of Gheg

The national Albanian renown author and politician Pashko Vasa in the 19th century argued that the origin of the word Gheg derives from the word Gjiant, Gegant, Gigand, Giant, referring to the verse found in the Homer's Iliad, "beyond the mountains of Akrokeronis, the land is inhabited by the Giants.

Sub-dialects of Gheg

Gheg has several sub-dialects: Southern Gheg (Pogradec, Librazhdë, Elbasan), Central Gheg (Tirana, Kruja, Burrel), Northwestern (Shkodra, Ulqin, Tivar, Plava, Gucia, Peja, Gjakova, Prizreni), Eastern Gheg(Peshkopia, Dibra, Tetova, Gostivari), Northeastern Gheg (Shkupi, Kumanova, Kacaniku, Sharri, Gjilani, Presheva, Bujanoc),Northern Gheg ( Prishtina, Mitrovica) and former Albanian populated territories of Nish Sanjak (Nish, Vranja, Toplica).

Gheg Nasalized Vowels

IPA	Written as
[ĩ]	î
[ɛ̃]	ê
[ã]	â
[ɔ̃]	ô (some dialects)
[ỹ]	ŷ
[ũ]	û

External links

• ISO Documentation