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Physical Action and Verbal Aggression: The Conceptual Continuity of ‘Killing’ and ‘Insult’ in Albanian and ancient Greek

The Albanian verbs vras and vrit , both meaning “ to kill ,” exemplify a notable phonetic and semantic pattern. The present tense form vras (“I kill”) alternates with vrit in the imperative and third-person forms, reflecting a regular phonetic alternation in certain Albanian verb stems, specifically the s → t shift. Semantically, this root captures a progression from a concrete physical action—“to strike”—to its more abstract consequence—“to kill.” This development illustrates how tangible motor actions provide the foundation for conceptualizing moral or social acts within the language. A comparable conceptual trajectory can be observed in ancient Greek. The notion of ὕβρις (hybris), traditionally understood as excessive pride or insolence, is likely reflected in later verbal forms such as βρίζω and βρισιές . The verb βρίζω denotes “to insult” or “to harm someone with words,” while βρισιές refers to verbal insults in the plural. Here, the metaphorical extension of physical action i...
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From Existence to Impurity: A Two-Level Framework of Hygiene

H'Y'GIENE (Based on the linguistic theory of Petro Zheji) Hygiene Framework with Two Fundamental Levels Level 1: Original Existence (HI = I = 1, GIENE = Gjëndje₁ / condition) Level 1 represents the primordial or first state, where a being, object, or system exists in its pure, unaltered condition. At this stage, there is no impurity, no dirt, no contamination. It is the baseline of existence, the “natural” or intrinsic state of being. GIENE₁ symbolizes this original state, unmarked by external factors, a pure condition or Gjëndje₁. Level 2: Dirty, Ndyrë, Covered by Impurity (Y = 2, GIENE = Gjën(d)je / condition) Level 2 arises when the original state (Level 1) becomes covered by dirt, contamination, or impurity: Impurity now overlays the original state, creating a distinction between the pure underlying existence and the visible dirty state. GIENE₂ represents the system in its covered, impure condition, while the original existence beneath (Level 1) still persists. Dirt is seco...
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The Hidden Architecture of Thought: Language as a Determinant of Freedom

Language and Freedom: The Hidden Architecture of Thought I. Introduction: Language as Ontology One of the most profound problems facing humanity is often invisible: the language people speak. Language is not merely a tool of communication; it is the architecture of thought itself. It defines not only what can be said, but what can even be imagined, the very contours of possibility within a society. Every law, every political system, every moral philosophy operates within the constraints set by language. To understand a people, one must understand the structures of their language. II. Ancient Languages and the Ethics of Freedom Very ancient languages arise from the soil of lived experience. They are shaped by direct confrontation with nature, social interdependence, and the existential realities of human life. In these languages, words for honor, courage, kinship, hospitality, and freedom are not abstract philosophical constructs—they are lived realities, encoded in vocabulary and synta...
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Pain, Anger, and the Language You Cannot Fake

It is a well-documented phenomenon in psycholinguistics that, under conditions of extreme emotional arousal—whether sudden rage or acute physical pain—a speaker reverts to their mother tongue, often involuntarily. Historical evidence demonstrates that this linguistic reflex can have concrete consequences. For instance, an intelligence agent during the First World War was reportedly exposed precisely because, in the throes of labor, she spoke in her native language rather than the language of her operational environment. Pain, in this context, acts as an unmediated conduit for identity, stripping away learned or imposed linguistic behavior. Plutarch’s account of Alexander the Great provides a compelling historical illustration of this principle. When, in a moment of uncontrollable anger, Alexander struck Cleitus, he reportedly called out “in Macedonian. Such an observation is not a mere anecdotal flourish; it is indicative of a broader linguistic truth: under extreme emotional duress, e...
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The Macedonian Language They Don’t Want You to Know About

By Γιώργος Μίχας (Geórgios Míchas) ARVANITIC, THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANCIENT MACEDONIANS Plutarch tells us that Alexander the Great, after killing Cleitus in a moment of drunken rage, called out to his guards “in Macedonian.” This statement has been known for centuries. It is clear. It is explicit. And yet it is systematically neutralized, relativized, or explained away—because it is inconvenient. If “Macedonian” were simply Greek, Plutarch’s remark would be meaningless. Authors do not specify a language unless there is a contrast. No one writes that a man shouted “in Greek” when Greek is the only language in the room. The very need to name Macedonian presupposes linguistic difference. This is not an interpretation; it is elementary logic. So the question is unavoidable: what was this Macedonian language? It could not have been Slavic. This should not even be a subject of discussion, yet it is endlessly recycled. Slavs appear in the Balkans roughly a millennium after Alexander. To project...
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Albanian as a Challenge to Dominant Narratives of Linguistic Origins

 Language Before Theory: Albanian as a Challenge to Dominant Narratives of Linguistic Origins Introduction Dominant scientific narratives on the origin of language present themselves as neutral, universal, and impartial. In reality, behind this facade of objectivity lies a structural deception: they explain the birth of language using linguistic and conceptual categories that already presuppose language itself. This is a methodological trick disguised as scientific rigor. And when a language like Albanian defies these models, all the contradictions of a system that prefers to ignore what does not fit the norm become painfully visible. Albanian is not an anomaly to be cataloged or marginalized: it is a blow to dominant narratives, a living proof that the linguistic history told in Western textbooks is often an ideological construction rather than a genuine inquiry. Methodological Circularity: The “Sages’” Trick Modern linguistic studies reconstruct the origins of language through pr...
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Five Centuries of Resistance: Linguistic and Cultural Persistence among the Arbëreshë of Italy

Linguistic and Identity Persistence among Albanians: A Historical Anomaly in the Longue Durée. Introduction The widespread perception that history is often “distorted” or incomplete is not unfounded, particularly when examining the experiences of stateless populations (Schwartz, 1995)¹. The case of the Albanians—especially the Arbëreshë communities in Italy—represents a paradigmatic example of the misalignment between historical reality and dominant historiographical narratives (Elsie, 2001)². The extraordinary persistence of language and identity within these communities, maintained for over five centuries without political autonomy, constitutes an anomaly in the European context and raises significant questions for prevailing interpretative models (De Rada, 1882)³. 1. Structural Limitations of State-Centered Historiography Traditional historiography relies heavily on sources produced by states, institutions, and administrative apparatuses (Braudel, 1980)⁴. This approach tends to marg...
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