The language of Albanians in the Italian diaspora

Abstract

The article is devoted to the situation of the Albanian language used by the Arbëresh community, descendants of Albanian emigrants living in southern Italy. The aim of the study is to present the history of this diaspora, the current condition of the Arbëresh language, and selected grammatical features, especially means of expressing future tense. A descriptive-comparative method was employed, comparing Italo-Albanian dialects with the Albanian language spoken in the Balkans. The research demonstrates that the Arbëresh, numbering approximately 200,000 people, preserved their linguistic identity for centuries owing to geographical and social isolation. Today, however, processes of modernisation, the development of communication, and the dominance of the Italian language have resulted in widespread bilingualism and the gradual restriction of Arbëresh usage among younger generations. At the same time, a revival of interest in the culture and language of their ancestors can be observed, manifested in publishing, educational, and scholarly activities. In the linguistic section, the author points to specific features of the Arbëresh verbal system, including the absence of certain categories known from Balkan Albanian and distinctive methods of forming future constructions.