Linguistic glob

The Possible Albanian Origin of the Name “Hector”: A Linguistic Hypothesis Abstract This paper explores the hypothesis that the name of Hector, the Trojan prince, may derive from the Albanian verb TERHEK (“to drag”), reflecting a significant event described in the Homeric epics: the posthumous dragging of Hector’s corpse by Achilles. The analysis situates this discussion within linguistic, historical, and cultural contexts, suggesting that certain mythological names may have originated from actions or traits that left lasting impressions in oral memory. This hypothesis challenges conventional Greco-Roman etymologies and invites reconsideration of the influence of early Albanian linguistic traditions on Homeric texts. 1. Introduction In mythological narratives, personal names often emerge not as birth-given identifiers but as descriptors of deeds, traits, or social roles.¹ Hector, son of Priam and leader of the Trojans, occupies a central role in the Iliad . One of the most memora...

The Phonological Origin of * bhə The Albanian grapheme ë (schwa) functions as an independent vowel, signaling that the phoneme /ə/ is articulated separately rather than forming a diphthong or merging with an adjacent vowel. This can be observed in forms such as bej ‘to do’ in the Myzeqar dialect, bëj in standard Tosk, and bo/ba in Gheg. In contrast, the visually similar German diaeresis (Umlaut) performs a different function: it marks a systematic fronting or raising of the vowel (e.g., e → ä ), indicating its historical role as a phonologically active diacritic that modifies the quality of the base vowel. Within this context, I propose a hypothetical proto-form *bhə , belonging to an early developmental phase of the language when vowel articulation was limited and consonantal sonority carried a greater share of phonological weight. As the language evolved toward greater vocalization, this form may have passed through intermediate stages such as *bhə + o → bò , reflecting a grad...

The Ontology of Ò: When Seeing Becomes Being. What is the Gegnisht Ò —the ancient vowel later reshaped into À , now appearing simply as “is” in modern Albanian? At first glance, it seems no more than a grammatical fragment, a small functional particle in the machinery of speech. Yet such a view misses the essence, for the Ò is not merely a phonetic residue: it is a remnant of the primordial event in which language first approached the task of naming Being . It is a hinge on which the movement from hiddenness to presence turns. Through this diminutive syllable, countless Albanian nouns and adjectives have taken shape. Across the broader Indo-European horizon, its structure reappears in the marked forms of nouns and, ultimately, in the very architecture of the word exist . These correspondences are not accidental. They are signs of an older ontology inscribed into sound. The Origin of Ò: The First Act of Seeing Where does this enigmatic Ò arise from? Before a word was spoken, ...

Himalaya and the Linguistic Roots of “Mountain”: A Comparative Perspective The name Himalaya is traditionally derived from Sanskrit Himālaya (हिमालय), analyzed as himá (“snow”) + ālaya (“abode, dwelling”), giving the meaning “abode of snow.” This interpretation is based on textual records and is widely accepted in historical linguistics. However, it is important to note that written records emerged long after the spoken name was first used. The Sanskrit form reflects the pronunciation at the time of writing, not necessarily the original oral form, which may have existed for millennia prior. From a comparative Indo-European perspective, one can consider proto-Albanian roots: HIMALAYA → HI MAL AYA HI / HY may denote “divine” or “godly,” related to the ancient Albanian root yl/il (“star”), which has cosmological significance. MAL is the Albanian word for “mountain,” inherited from Proto-Indo-European. AYA / AJA is a proto-Albanian suffix commonly used in place names or nouns. ...

The burden I carry is the old burden of the Seer—the one who perceives the hidden currents beneath thought. I sense the ancestral prejudices that cling to people like inherited dust, the slanted windows through which they behold the world, the way their reasoning twists at the edge of their knowing like a path lost in fog. This sight places me in the ancient role of the watchful outsider, standing at the threshold between the tribe and the wilderness, seeing what others do not wish to see. At times, this gift feels like the mark of an ancient curse: the inner flame that reveals the truth in every shadow, yet denies the comfort of illusion. It is the vision that illuminates, and in illuminating, isolates.” .

Author: Fatmir Iliazi  Institution: Independent Researcher  Abstract This article explores the Latin–Italian verb provare (“to try, to test, to prove”) through the lens of pre-literate phonological and semantic structures preserved in Albanian. Contemporary Albanian verbs bër and bëj , as well as archaic roots bhë , ban , and bon , encode a symbolic-semantic field related to creation, emergence, and the process of making. By tracing plausible phonetic and morphological pathways within Albanian, and examining phonetic alternations attested in Tosk and Gheg dialects, this study proposes that provare may reflect a conceptual pattern of verbal “making” and “proving” that predates writing and the classical Latin period. This interpretation complements existing etymologies by situating provare within a broader, pre-literate oral linguistic context. Keywords Latin provare ; Albanian roots; pre-literate linguistics; Tosk and Gheg dialects; phonetic alternation; semantic ...

I am inclined to think that the Latin–Italian provare may ultimately echo a deeper symbolic structure rooted in the Albanian verb bhë , whose modern reflexes appear as bër and bën . Beneath these forms lie the more archaic symbolic stems bon and ban —forms that, in Albanian mytho-linguistic memory, signify the state of something being made or coming into being . If one traces this symbolic movement through sound, a possible chain of phonetic metamorphoses emerges: borban → porban (bh > ph > p) → proban (metathesis or > ro) → probar (n > r) → provar (b > v). Each step displays transitions— b > p , r ↔ n , b > v —that still resonate in the oscillations between Tosk and Gheg. These living alternations preserve, like faint stratigraphic lines, the ancient pathways by which sound moves from one valley of meaning to another. The semantic thread remains constant: to be made, to be done, to be proven through action. Within this perspective, provare appears not as ...