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This video brings some passages from Gjon Buzuku's Meshari, written by the Catholic clergyman in 1555. Meshari is the first book published in the Albanian language.
What stands out is that almost 466 years ago, the Albanian language did not sound very different from today, in the Geg dialect.
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people primarily in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Greece. It is the official language of Albania and Kosovo.
Albanian is considered to be one of the oldest languages in Europe, with roots dating back to the Illyrian language spoken in ancient times. However, due to a lack of written records, the exact origins of the Albanian language are still not fully understood.
One unique feature of the Albanian language is its alphabet. The modern Albanian alphabet is based on the Latin script and consists of 36 letters, including the letters "ç", "ë", and "xh", which are not found in the standard Latin alphabet. The alphabet was first standardized in the 19th century by the Albanian scholar Naum Veqilharxhi.
Albanian is known for its complex grammar and extensive use of inflection, with nouns, verbs, and adjectives all having multiple forms depending on factors such as gender, case, and tense. Despite its complexity, Albanian has a phonetic writing system, which means that words are generally pronounced as they are written.
Albanian has been heavily influenced by other languages over the centuries, including Greek, Latin, Slavic, and Turkish. As a result, the language has many loanwords from these languages, particularly in the areas of science, technology, and culture.