Elifba alphabet
The Elifba alphabet (
History
The
During 1909 and 1910 there were movements by Albanian Young Turks supporters to adopt the Arabic alphabet, as they considered the Latin script to be un-Islamic. In Elbasan, Muslim clerics led a demonstration for the Arabic script, telling their congregations that using the Latin script would make them infidels. In 1911, the Young Turks dropped their opposition to the Latin alphabet, and the current Latin alphabet for Albanian was adopted. In order to eliminate ambiguity in the pronunciation of the Arabic script, Rexhep Voka developed a customized Arabic alphabet consisting of 44 consonants and vowels, which he published in 1911. However, it was hardly used anymore due to the Congress of Manastir. Tiranli Fazli then used this script to publish a thirty-two page grammar. Only one Albanian newspaper at the time ever appeared in Arabic script, and it lasted a brief period. Regardless of what script appeared, such material raised Albanian national consciousness.[2]
Notes
If a word starts with a vowel, the hamza (ئـ) is inserted before it. Letter j at the beginning of a word is represented یـ instead of ئیـ.
Sample text in Tosk
تهَ جیثەَ نْەرەَزیت لیندین تەَ لیرەَ ذە تەَ بارابارتەَ نەَ دینْیتەَت ذە نەَ تەَ درەیتا. ئاتا کانەَ ئارسوٌە ذە ندەَرجەجە ذە دوُهەت تەَ سیللەن ندای نْەَری تیەتریت مە فروٌمەَ وەللازەَریمی.
Transliteration
Të gjithë njerëzit lindin të lirë dhe të barabartë në dinjitet dhe në të drejta. Ata kanë arsye dhe ndërgjegje dhe duhet të sillen ndaj njëri tjetrit me frymë vëllazërimi.
Sample text in Gheg
ژدوَ نْەری کان لە ت'لیر مەً نْآییت دینْیتەًت ئەذەً درەتا. ئاتا یان تەَ پاییسوُن مەً مەًنْەً ئەذەً وەت-دییەً ئەذەً دوُهەَن تەَ وەپروًین کا نْآنی-تیەترین مەً نْی شپیرت وللاَزنیمیت.
Transliteration
Zhdo njeri kan le t'lir mê njãjit dinjitêt edhê dreta. Ata jan të pajisun mê mênjê edhê vet-dijê edhê duhën të veprôjn ka njãni-tjetrin mê nji shpirt vllâznimit.
Translation (for both texts)
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Albanian | Arabic | Final | Medial | Initial |
---|---|---|---|---|
A | ا | ـا | ـا | ا |
B | ب | ـبـ | ـبـ | بـ |
C | چ | ـچـ | ـچـ | چـ |
Ç | چ | ـچـ | ـچـ | چـ |
D | د | ـدـ | ـدـ | دـ |
Dh | ذ | ـذـ | ـذـ | ذـ |
E | ە | ـە | ـە | ە |
Ë | ه | ـە | ـە | ە |
F | ف | ـفـ | ـفـ | فـ |
G | غ | ـگـ | ـگـ | گـ |
Gj | گ | ـگـ | ـگـ | گـ |
H | ه | ـهـ | ـهـ | هـ |
I | ی | ـیـ | ـیـ | یـ |
J | ج | ـجـ | ـجـ | جـ |
K | ک | ـکـ | ـکـ | کـ |
L | ل | ـلـ | ـلـ | لـ |
Ll | ڵ | ـلـ | ـلـ | لـ |
M | م | ـمـ | ـمـ | مـ |
N | ن | ـنـ | ـنـ | نـ |
Nj | ژ | ـنـ | ـنـ | نـ |
O | و | ـوـ | ـوـ | وـ |
P | پ | ـپـ | ـپـ | پـ |
Q | ق | ـقـ | ـقـ | قـ |
R | ر | ـرـ | ـرـ | رـ |
Rr | ڕ | ـرـ | ـرـ | رـ |
S | س | ـسـ | ـسـ | سـ |
Sh | ش | ـشـ | ـشـ | شـ |
T | ت | ـتـ | ـتـ | تـ |
Th | ث | ـتـ | ـتـ | تـ |
U | ۋ | ۋ | ۋ | ۋ |
V | ۆ | ۆ | ۆ | ۆ |
X | خ | ـخـ | ـخـ | خـ |
Xh | ج | ـجـ | ـجـ | جـ |
Y | ى | ى | ى | ى |
Z | ز | ـزـ | ـزـ | زـ |
Zh | چ | ژ | ژ | ژ |
References
- ISBN 9780872499775
- ^ Robert Elsie: The Currents of Moslem and Bektash Writing in Albania (1850–1950). In: Albanian Catholic Bulletin. Band 15, 1994, S. 172–177, hier S. 176.