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Language of AlbaniaThe official language of Albania is Albanian. Albanian is an Indo-European language and it represents a separate branch of this family on the bases of its idiosyncrasy. The Albanians language is also used, written and spoken, in parts of Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia, where ethnic Albanians live (CIA World Fact book).
Albanian has two main dialects, Gheg and Tosk. These are the northern and southern dialects. Most of the people in Albania speak either the northern or southern dialect, making the language unifying. The official language is based on the Tosk dialect since the 1940's. Tosk is reported to be a "softer" version of the language, by native speakers (Albanian Phrasebook). The Albanian language has 36 letters of the Latin script. The Albanian alphabet was standardized in 1909. Albanian is spoken in Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Kosovo, South Serbia and Turkey (History of Language). |
Language of ItalyThe main language of Italy is Italian. Italian is considered one of the most romantic and melodic languages in the history of the world. It is spoken principally in the Italian peninsula, southern Switzerland, San Marino, Sicily, Corsica, northern Sardinia, and on the northeastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, as well as in North and South America (About.com).
Italian is fully developed and is a national language. A majority of the population of Italy speak Italian which would make the language unifying. The Italian language originated in Italy. It is classified as one the romance languages of the family of Indo-European (about.com). Out of all the major Romance languages, Italian retains the closest resemblance to Latin (History of the Language). It was not until the 19th century that the language spoken by educated Italians spread to become the language of a new nation. The unification of Italy in 1861 had a profound impact not only on the political scene but also resulted in a significant social, economical, and cultural transformation. With mandatory schooling, the literacy rate increased, and many speakers abandoned their native dialect in favor of the national language (about.com). |