Mehmet Elezi: The Albanian language risks having the fate of Latin

"The standard of the Albanian language must be reformed without touching the basis of Toskresh by wise scholars who have an Albanian heart," said the linguist Mehmet Elezi in an interview with Merita Haklajn, as otherwise the Albanian language is endangered.

"I am by no means in favor of the overthrow. This standard should remain, but it needs to be reformed. To preserve the Tuscan base. Do not touch, this is basic. This standard should be developed to elaborate the rules so that it can be opened in a scientific way and not cacophony. In accordance with the language rules. This is necessary, because today there have been amazing changes in the entire region",

Emphasizing the necessity of reforming the Albanian language, Elezi brings to attention the painful history of the Latin language, where the official language was separated from the spoken language.

"There is a painful historical experience with Latin, if we see it as a possible reflection of the developments in our country. The official Latin was separated from the spoken popular one and it remained a dead language with the dead and it is only in books, while from the popular Latin several languages ​​were created, such as Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian. There is a risk in the not-so-short future that a separation will be created and the standard will remain a cold, distant language and the Albanian nation will suffer a linguistic divide, chaos in the absence of a real standard".

Çabej also had an approximate thesis for the reformation of the Albanian language, but also for its possible separation like that of Latin, who emphasized the necessity of an Albanian language for all Albanian-speaking territories.

"Çabej used to say that we need an Albanian language for four million Albanians. So, to open up for all Albanians to find themselves and strengthen the internal immunity. It is globalism. The winds of globalization give you a cold from side to side, and the first to catch a cold is the one with weak immunity. Smaller language than it is less cultivated in front of the world. If you see today, English words are inserted unnecessarily. A wise reformation by scholars that made the Albanian heart beat. An approximate thesis of Çabej says that we must preserve the Albanian language so that it does not become a backward language, because today we have two Albanian languages. He said this in 1967. One is the literary language and the other is the people's language and this separation should never happen and today the trends are unstoppable if the Albanian language is not reformed".

Elezi announced that the Academy of Sciences of Kosovo has withdrawn from the drafting of the common Albanian Dictionary, announced a few days ago that it would be ready in two years. For Elez, this is harmful and emphasized the need to find understanding to work together

"The Kosovo Academy has withdrawn and a retired linguist remains. This is harmful and it has been withdrawn that they have not found understanding with academia here and this is very harmful and now this dictionary cannot be trusted. If they will work together to unite scholars equally with seriousness, otherwise the Albanian language is endangered. In the future, there is a risk that if the standard is not reformed, without really touching the base, a disconnect between the standard used in official communications and everyday language and part of the media may be created. It can happen."

Elezi relates the difficulty of understanding Gegnishte by the Tuscans to the standard, since before 1944 the two dialects were moving towards fusion, the past participle and Gegnishte, according to him, were also understood in the south. And, therefore, it suggests opening the standard. But, for the linguist, this also requires a lot of will from the government and academia.

"They are consequences of the standard. Before 1944 Fishta was also understood in the south and was followed with great interest. The infinitive is a very important way, it was excluded before 1944, even in Toskërsh. You also have it in Naimi's "Cattle and Agriculture", it was not a big difference, it was heading for fusion and 50-60 years have passed and people have learned not to read Fishta and great authors. The language comes alive by opening the standard, putting them in books and having courage. Even northern writers have self-censorship. Expressions from foreign languages ​​are being acquired; how beautifully the forms of Albanian would be adopted, within Albania. Will is needed. I don't see the will either from the academy or the government".

He brings to attention the linguistic conference in Durrës in 2010 where academics from the Albanian regions suggested the possibility of introducing the infinitive into the standard, but that a group of linguists rushed to draft a resolution against it.

"In 2010, a language conference was held in Durrës and there were academics from the Albanian regions and they approved summaries where they suggested the possibility of introducing the infinitive in the standard. When this became known, a number of linguists ran to each other and drafted a resolution against the infinitive. This zeal against the Albanian language is not against foreign linguistic structures and completely unnecessary words. The infinitive is called the highest form of abstract thought in a language. It has great fluidity. It is a value that 70 percent of the Albanian language has; all European languages ​​have it. It's a big loss."

Although he does not see the green light for reforming the standard, linguist Elezi does not lose hope that future generations will find an understanding of the importance of the Albanian language.

"It is possible, I don't think there will always be disagreements, who understand the importance of the problem and must do something. I don't call it without a solution. At the moment I don't see a green light. The problem is serious and lack of will. Even in Kosovo they are divided. We have everything in the language, DNA, being, identity, so let's open it to include its whole being". /A2/