Assistance of the Arbëresh Personalities for the Preservation and Development of the Albanian Language

Abstract

Although Arb?resh community removed to Italy since nearly five centuries ago, they continued to jealously guard their traditions and ancient rites, aiming to keep alive proudly their fore-fathers world. During their hard work how to protect and highlight the " Arbëresh world ", they had to overcome numerous difficulties of linguistic and literary character in their native language writing. The Arb?resh community of Italy wrote in the native language and the first known writer until today among them was Lek Matrënga with his masterpiece "E mbsuame e krishterë" (1592). Under the influence of Italian Language, as well as under the influence of the Roman Catholic culture, the arbëresh writers have used mainly Latin alphabet. In 1836 De Rada for the first time published in Napoli "Songs of Milosaos". In the foreword of this wonderful lyric poem, the powerful researcher expressed deep concern for the preservation of the Albanian identity and arberesh folk songs. Even today his creative work is an inspiration source and a subject of study for a considerable number of albanologists, linguists and teachers of the Albanian language.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1p79