Albanian, Arvanitika


A language of Greece

Alternate Names
Arberichte, Arbërisht, Arvanitic, Arvanitika

50,000 (Salminen 2007). Ethnic population: 150,000.


Aegean, Attica, Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian Islands, Thessaly and Central Greece administrative units; Voiotia, south Evvoia and Salamis islands; Korinthia and Argolis areas; other Peloponnese areas, northwest Achaia, north of Lapas; Messinia, from Kalamitra northwest; Lakonia, east coastal area near Rikhea; Kyklades, Andros island north; Athens, mainly rural, 300 villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

7 (Shifting).


Thracean Arvanitika, Northwestern Arvanitika, South Central Arvanitika. Partially intelligible with Albanian Tosk [als]. Dialects perceived as mutually unintelligible. A member of macrolanguage Albanian [sqi].

Language Use

Youth migrate to Athens and assimilate as Greeks. Some cultural revival since the 1980s. Rapid language shift so regular use is probably confined to a much smaller number of people (Salminen 2007). Older adults; few if any children learn the language.

Language Development
Grammar. NT: 1827.

Greek script [Grek].

Other Comments

The language is heavily influenced by Greek [ell]. Christian.

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