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 marginalize the historical experiences of groups that were:
stateless,
subject to forced migration,
organized around familial and community structures.
The Albanian migrations to southern Italy in the 15th–16th centuries were not driven by organized political projects but by flight and resettlement in response to Ottoman expansion (Kushner, 1992)⁵. Consequently, Arbëreshë historical memory has been preserved primarily through oral, ritual, and familial transmission, which has historically been undervalued by positivist historiography (Librizzi, 1974)⁶.
2. The Arbëreshë Case as a European Exception
Historical estimates indicate that approximately 200,000 Albanians settled in Italy, maintaining:
an archaic variety of the Albanian language,
coherent identity structures,
specific religious and ritual traditions,
for over five centuries within a dominant Romance-language environment (Nicolini, 1990)⁷.
This continuity is exceptional when compared to other European minority groups, which often experienced linguistic assimilation within two to three centuries, frequently mediated through schooling, administration, or religious institutions (Fishman, 1991)⁸.
The absence of a national state as a reference point renders this persistence even more remarkable, challenging assumptions that linguistic survival depends primarily on state structures (Hobsbawm, 1992)⁹.
3. Structural Factors Underlying Linguistic Resistance
The preservation of Albanian language and identity can be explained by a convergence of anthropological and sociolinguistic factors (Friedman, 2001)¹⁰.
3.1 Language as a Genealogical Principle
For Albanians, language historically served not merely as a communicative tool but as a genealogical marker, linking individuals to their ancestors and their original territory. Loss of language equated to a rupture in ancestral continuity and identity (De Rada, 1882)³.
3.2 Kinship-Based Community Organization
Arbëreshë villages were structured around kin networks, practicing endogamy and strong social cohesion. Marriages were organized among Arbëreshë, because, lacking knowledge of other languages, communication would have been impossible. This organization created a functional barrier to linguistic replacement, slowing or preventing adoption of the dominant language (Librizzi, 1974)⁶.
3.3 Religious Neutrality
A distinctive aspect of the Albanian case is the decoupling of religious affiliation from ethno-linguistic identity. Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Islam did not undermine the use of Albanian. In Italy, the Byzantine-Greek rite even reinforced the use of the Albanian language rather than displacing it (Elsie, 2001)².
3.4 Memory of Exile
Arbëreshë migrations were acts of exile rather than economic mobility. Collective memory of trauma—loss of homeland, political sovereignty, and traditional social order—functioned as a mechanism of identity crystallization, reinforcing intergenerational cultural transmission (Schwartz, 1995)¹.
4. Comparison with Other Assimilation Processes
In many historical cases, linguistic assimilation was incentivized through:
social mobility,
formal education,
integration into state structures (Fishman, 1991)⁸.
Arbëreshë people did not attend school, and most did not interact extensively with non-Arbëreshë neighbors. Albanian communities, by contrast, prioritized domestic and familial continuity of language. This strategy, although informal and lacking official recognition, proved exceptionally effective over the long term (Friedman, 2001)¹⁰.
5. Theoretical Implications
The persistence of Albanian language and identity challenges historiographical and sociolinguistic models predicated on:
state centrality,
linear assimilation processes,
the primacy of written over oral sources (Hobsbawm, 1992)⁹.
The Arbëreshë case demonstrates that deliberate, household-level transmission can constitute a more durable factor of resistance than formal political institutions (De Rada, 1882)³.
Conclusion
Albanian identity has not survived by accident. Its persistence results from active cultural will, exercised in the quotidian space of family and community. While largely invisible in official documents, this form of resistance has been decisive in sustaining historical continuity among stateless populations (Schwartz, 1995)¹.
Bibliography
Schwartz, B. Stateless Peoples in European History. London: Routledge, 1995.
Elsie, R. Arbëreshë: The Albanian Minority in Italy. Tirana: Naim Frashëri, 2001.
De Rada, G. Canti e Tradizioni degli Albanesi d’Italia. Firenze, 1882.
Braudel, F. La Méditerranée et le Monde Méditerranéen à l’Époque Moderne. Paris: Armand Colin, 1980.
Kushner, D. Albanian Migrations and Ottoman Expansion. New York, 1992.
Librizzi, S. Tradizioni Arbëreshe e Strutture Familiari. Palermo, 1974.
Nicolini, G. Minorities in Southern Europe. Rome, 1990.
Fishman, J. Reversing Language Shift. Clevedon, 1991.
Hobsbawm, E. Nations and Nationalism since 1780. Cambridge, 1992.
Friedman, V. Language and Identity in Albanian Communities. New York, 2001.
Comments
Post a Comment