Household Encyclopædia of Random Things

HOUSEHOLD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RANDOM THINGS

QOFT/E, -JA f. sh. -E, -ET. 1. gjell. Mish i grirë, i përzier me qepë, me
vezë e me erëza dhe i ngjeshur si petull, që piqet a skuqet; patate,
patellxhanë ose karota të ziera, të grira, të përziera me vezë, djathë e
erëza e të ngjeshura në këtë mënyrë, që skuqen me vaj. Qofte të skarës.
Qofte të furrës. Qofte me patate. Mish për qofte. 2. thjeshtligj., keq.
Njeri që nuk ështe i zoti për diçka. ..."Fjalor i Shqipes së sotme", nën
drejtimin e Prof. Androkli Kostallarit, Tiranë, 1984.

QOFTE is a kind of meat-cooking speciality which is very much favoured in
Albania and overmore in the Balkan area. The "Fjalor Shqip-Anglisht" of Ilo
Duro & Ramazan Hysa, reed. 1988, Tiranë, gives the following translation:
croquette, but it would be more commonsense to translate it as "meatball",
which is what most English-speakig people having visited Albania in the last
century, in this one, and nowadays, call it. [And now for something
completely different: French: QOFTE est une specialité de préparation de la
viande en forme de boules de viande. Le "Fjalor Shqip-Frengjisht" de Vedat
Kokona, Tiranë, 1977, donne la traduction: boulette.]

QYP, -I m. sh. -A, -AT. 1. Enë e madhe prej balte, me bark e zakonisht me
vegje, që përdoret për të mbajtur bulmet, turshi etj. 2. thjeshtligj.,
mospërf. Koka e njeriut nuk ia pret qypi; shar. njeri i trashë. ..."Fjalor i
Shqipes së sotme", nën drejtimin e Prof. Androkli Kostallarit, Tiranë, 1984.

QYP is an earthenware utensil. It was generally used for stocking
provisions. It can be compared with the amphora, the jug and the jar. Since
it is a general term, I would think the best translation would be: pot,
earthenware pot. [En français, "Fjalor Shqip-Frengjisht" de Vedat Kokona,
Tiranë 1977 = jarre.] "Qyp" has also a metaphorical meaning = dull, dummy,
rather fat-headed. The "Fjalor Shqip-Turqisht-Anglisht" of Doc. Dr. Rian
Disçi, Istanbul, 1994, gives the following Turkish & English translations:
qyp/kup/jar.

VEGJA. Mjet i madh prej druri i ngritur mbi katër kembë dhe me pjesët e
nevojshme, në të cilin tendosen fijet e majës prej liri, leshi, mëndafshi a
pambuku dhe punohet për të endur pëlhura të ndryshme e qilima. Tipi më i
lashtë është V. me këmbë (vertikale), më pas u përdor V. e shtrirë
(horizontale) me dy lisa dhe me përsosjen e mëtejshme u bë me 4 lisa. Në
krahina të ndryshme shqiptare njihet me disa terma: vegël, veg, avlëmend,
tellar, argali etj. Pjesët kryesore te V. janë: dy shulat - në njërin
mbështillet maja dhe në tjetrin pëlhura e punuar, lisat ose liqtë për të
ulur e ngritur këmbyerazi fijet e majës, shpata ose krehri për të rrahur
indin, druga e boshtet e penjve etj. V. përdorej pothuaj në çdo shtëpi
fshatare dhe në mjaft familje qytetare si mjeti kryesor për tekstilet
popullore. (hyrje më vete në fjalor) Sot V. përdoret kryesisht për endjen e qilimave,
ndërsa në ndustrinë tekstile (hyrje më vete në fjalor) ia ka zënë vendin tezgjahu
automatik. - "Fjalor Enciklopedik Shqiptar", nën drejtimin e Prof. Aleks Budës,
Tiranë, 1985. Hyrja mbi "vegjën" shkruar nga Afërdita Onuzi.

VEGJË, -A f. sh. -E, -ET. 1. kryes. sh. Vegël e madhe prej druri , me katër
këmbë, që përdoret nga një njeri për të endur pëlhure, qilima etj.;
avlëmend, tezgjah. Krehri (shuli) i vegjës. Shpata e vegjës. Bën vegjë end.
2. Vjegë. ..."Fjalor i Shqipes së sotme", nën drejtimin e Prof. Androkli
Kostallarit, Tiranë, 1984.

VJEG/Ë, - A f. sh. -A, -AT. 1. Pjesa e një ene, e kthyer si lak, me të cilën
e kapim ose e mbajmë atë në dorë; dorezë, vesh. Vjega e shtambës (e
kazanit). 2. Hallkë e zinxhirit; grep a çengel ku varet diçka. 3. ..."Fjalor
i Shqipes së sotme", nën drejtimin e Prof. Androkli Kostallarit, Tiranë,
1984. [Image]

ALBANIA

Albania is an extensively mountainous country where the mountain system is
extremely complex, especially that of the northern region. The plains extend
to the Western part of the country and are coasted by the Adriatic and
Ionian sea. The climate is generally healthy, especially in the uplands. The
winter is short, but exceedingly cold; some mountains often remain
snow-capped throughout the year. The principal trees are the oak, the beech,
ash, elm, plane, poplar and walnut, which give way in the higher regions to
the pine and fir. The splendid forests are undergoing a process of
destruction. Olive is grown in the lowland and maritime districts, and the
greater part of the country is suited to viticulture, and wine of good
quality is produced. The lakes and rivers of Albania preserve still nowadays
(not without constant menace) some rare or unique kinds of fish and other
water living creatues.

The Albanians, both Ghegs and Tosks, call themselves Shqipëtar, their land
Shqipëria and their language gjuha shqipe. The Albanians might be of the
most ancient stock of population having lived in southeastern Europe.
History and legend afford no record of their arrival in the Balkan
Peninsula. They have been represented in albanological literature as
decendants of the Pelasgians, Illyrians, Macedonians and Epirots. Of these
cognate races, which are described by the Greek writers as barbarous or
non-Hellenic, the Illyrians seem to have been the most direct ancestors of
the Albanains. While the other primitive populations of the peninsula were
either hellenized or latinized, or subsequently absorbed by the Slavonic
immigration, the Albanians to a great extent remained unaffected by foreign
influences. Retaining their original language and preserving the customs and
institutions of remote antiquity, they present a distinct type, and differ
in many essential particulars from the other nations of the peninsula. The
large number of Slavonic local names in Albania, even in districts where no
trace of a Slavonic population exists, bears witness to the extensive
Servian and Bulgarian immigrations in the early middle ages, but the
original inhabitants gradually ousted or assimilated the invaders.
Noticeable is also the tenacity with which isolated fragments of the nation
have preserved their peculiar characteristics, language, customs and
traditions. The Albanians in Greece and Italy, though separated for six
centuries from the parent stock, have not yet been completely absorbed by
the surrounding populations. Albanian Language is peculiarly interesting as
thought the only surviving representative of the so-called Thraco-Illyrian
group of languages which formed the primitive speech of the peninsula, and
as representing an isolated branch in the family tree of the Indo-European
languages. It can afford an attractive study to philologists, to whom the
works of Bopp, Malte-Brun, Leake, Xylander, Hahn, Miklosich, Meyer, Pedersen,
Benloew, Riza, Shuteriqi and Çabej might lead the way. The analysis of the
language presents great difficulties, owing to the absence of literary
monuments. The earliest printed work known to us, dates from 1555. A large
number of words have been borrowed from Latin, Italian, or Greek.
There is also a considerable admixture of Turkish and Slavonic words.
Notwithstanding certain points of resemblance in structure and phonetics,
Albanian is entirely distinct from the neighbouring languages. It possesses
seven vowels; among the consonants are the aspirated d [dh] and t [th], as in Greek,
and many other sounds, such as b, d, sh, zh (French j), and hard g, which
are wanting in Greek, but exist in the Slavonic languages. The genitive, dative
and ablative are usually represented by a single termination; the vocative
is generally formed by a final o, as mëmmo from mëmmë, "mother." The two
auxiliary verbs are kam, "I have," and jam, "I am". An interesting and
characteristic feature of the language is the definite article, which is
attached to the end of the word: e.g. mik ("friend," amicus), mik-u ("the
friend"); qen ("dog"), qen-i ("the dog"). The suffix-article likewise
appears in Rumanian and Bulgarian, but in no other Latin or Slavonic
language. Another remarkable analogy between the Albanian and the neighbouring languages is
found in the formation of the future; the Albanian do (3rd pers. sing. of
dua, "I will", "I want"), like the Greek tha, is prefixed without change to
all persons of the verb: a similar usage in Serbian and Bulgarian, as well
as in Rumanian (especially the Macedonian dialect), is peculiar to these
languages in the Slavonic and Latin groups. These and other points of
similarity, possibly only accidental, have led to the conjecture that the
primitive Illyrian language may have exerted some kind of influence on the
other idioms of the peninsula. An alphabet of fifty-two letters, some
presenting ancient Phoenician and Cretan forms, was found by Hahn in partial
use at Elbassan and Tirana (excerpt); on its antiquity, however,
more comparative and historical study needs to be carried out. The native
folklore and poetry of the Albanians can hardly compare with that of the
neighbouring nations in originality and beauty; it is held by number of
authors as a matrice of a wide and spacious Balkan folklore.

RANDOM BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ALBANIA.

BOPP F. Uber das Albanesische (Berlin, 1854); FALLMERAYER J. P. Das
albanesische Element in Griechenland (Munich, 1864); MIKLOSICH F.
Albanesische Forschungen (Vienna, 1870); LAMBROS S. `E onomatologia tes
'Attikes kai h eis ten choran epikesis ton Albanon in the 'Epeteris tou
Parnassou (Athens, 1896); PULLU I. H. I epiqissis ton allvanon en korinthia
(Athina, 1922); PETROTTA, Gaetano Popolo, lingua e letteratura albanese. 2a
tiratura con aggiunte e correzioni. (Pontificia, Palermo 1932), Svoglimento
storico della cultura e della letteratura albanese. 2a tiratura con aggiunte
e correzioni. (Boccone del Povero, Palermo 1950); DRIZARI, Nelo Albanian
literature. in: Dictionary of Modern European Literature (ed. SMITH,
Horatio) (OUP, London 1948), Albanian-English and English-Albanian
dictionary. Enlarged edition. (Ungar, New York 1957); MANN, Stuart E.
Albanian literature. An outline of prose, poetry and drama. (Quaritch,
London 1955); Shejzat. Le Pleiadi. E përkohshme kulturore, shoqnore e
artistike. Revista culturale, sociale ed artistica. Founder and proprietor:
Ernesto Koliqi. Editor: Martin Camaj. (Rome 1957-1974); SCHIRO, Giuseppe
[junior] Storia della letteratura albanese. (Nuova Accademia Editrice, Milan
1959); SHUTERIQI, Dhimitër, BIHIKU, Koço & DOMI, Mahir (ed.) Historia e
letërsisë shqipe 1-2. (Tiranë, 1959, 1960; Prishtinë, 1975); NOTIS BOTZARIS,
Visions Balkaniques dans la Preparation de la Revolution Grecque (1789-1821)
(Geneve, Paris 1962); GJERGJEKU, Enver, KELMENDI, Ramiz & MEKULI, Hasan
Panoramë e letersisë bashkëkohore shqipe në Jugosllavi. (Enti për Botimin e
Teksteve i RS të Serbisë, Belgrade, 1964); ÇOBA A. - PRELA, Z. Albanica,
(Tiranë, 1965); MANNING, Clarence, Albanian poetry. in: Princeton
Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Ed. Preminger, Warnke & Harrison.
(Princeton UP, Princeton 1965); Zjarri. Il fuoco. Rivista di cultura
albanese. (San Demetrio Corone 1968-); KIÇI, Gaspër English-Albanian
dictionary. Fjalor anglisht-shqip. (Romë 1969), Albanian-English dictionary.
Fjalor shqip-anglisht. (Romë 1978); PARRINO Ignazio Acta Albaniae Vaticana.
Res Albaniae saeculorum XIV et XV atque cruciatam spectantia. Vol. 1: Acta
ex libris brevium excerpta colligens É 1971, XXVI-162 p., Lit. 27000 "Studi
e testi" n. 266, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana; KOLIQI, Ernesto Saggi di
letteratura albanese. Studi e testi 5. (Olschki, Florence 1972); METAIS,
Michel Ismail Kadare et la nouvelle poesie albanaise. (Oswald, Paris, 1973);
BYRON, Janet Selection among alternates in language standartization. The
case of Albanian (Contributions to the Sociology of Language 12). (Mouton,
The Hague 1976); SHEMA, Isak & RUGOVA, Ibrahim Bibliografi e kritikës
letrare shqiptare 1944-1974. (Instituti Albanologjik, Prishtinë, 1976);
GRULICH, Rudolf Regen in einer Legende. Albanische Lyrik vom Amselfeld.
(Heiligenhof, 1977); LUSSU, Joyce La poesia degli albanesi. (ERI, Turin,
1977); ISMAJLI, Rexhep (ed.) Rrënjë e fortë. Poezia arbëreshe e ditëve tona.
(Rilindja, Prishtinë, 1978); PIPA, Arshi Albanian literature, social
perspectives. Triologia Albanica 3. Albanische Forschungen 19. (Troefnik,
Munich 1978); QVICK, Ullmar Ornarna och bergen. Albansk poesi. (Rallarros,
Gavle 1979); QOSJA, Rexhep Antologjia e lirikës shqipe. Botim i dytë i
plotësuar dhe i përmirësuar. (Enti i teksteve, Prishtinë, 1979); BIHIKU,
Koço History of Albanian literature. (8 Nëntori, Tiranë, 1980); JORGAQI,
Nasho & SINANI, Hysen (ed.) Degë e blertë. Antologji e poezisë së sotme
arbëreshe. (Naim Frashëri, Tiranë, 1980); NEWMARK, Leonard, HAZNEDARI,
Ismail, HUBBARD, Philip & PRIFTI, Peter Spoken Albanian. (Spoken Language
Services, Ithaca, 1980); PAIDHUSI Jona Ta vilia tu qitherona qe ta
arvanitika tragudhiatis (Athina, 1980); DURO, Ilo & HYSA, Ramazan
Albanian-English dictionary. Fjalor shqip-anglisht. (Tiranë, 1981,
Prishtinë, 1988); Anthologie de la poesie albanaise. (8 Nëntori, Tiranë,
1983); SHUTERIQI, Dhimiter (ed.) Historia e letersisë shqiptare që nga
fillimet deri te lufta antifashiste nacionalçlirimtare. (Akademia e
Shkencave, Tiranë, 1983; Rilindja, Prishtinë, 1990); CAMAJ, Martin Albanian
grammar with exercises, chrestomathy and glossary. (Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden
1984); PODRIMJA, Ali & HAMITI, Sabri (ed.) The sad branch. Albanian poetry
in Yougoslavia. Dega e pikëlluar. Poezi shqipe në Jugosllavi. (Rilindja,
Prishtinë, 1984); DURAKU, Nebil Shkrimtarët e Kosovës '43- '83. (Rilindja,
Prishtinë, 1984); PIPA, Arshi & REPISHTI, Sami (ed.) Studies on Kosova. East
European Monographs 155. (Boulder 1984); DANIEL, Odile Albanie. Une
bibliographie histrorique. CNRS, Paris, 1985; POGONI, Bardhyl Contemporary
Albanian poems. Translations and comments by Bardhyl Pogoni. (Dragotti,
Naples 1985); STEFANLLARI, Ilo Fjalor anglisht-shqip. Tiranë, 1986;
BUCHHOLZ, Oda & FIEDLER, Wilfried Albanische Grammatik. (VEB Verlag
EnzyklopŠdie, Leipzig 1987); DESNICKAJA, Agnija Vasilevna Albanskaja
literatura i albanskij jazyk. (Nauka, Leningrad 1987); MALAMAS, Lambros
Anafora sten albanike logotekhnia 1500-1986. (Eleuthero Pneuma, Ioannina
1987); RESULI, Namik Albanian literature. (Vatra, Boston 1987); Roads lead
only one way. A survey of modern poetry from Kosova. The Kosova Association
of Literary Translators. (Rilindja, Prishtinë, 1988); BLAND, William B.
(ed.) Albania. World Bibliographical Series, vol. 94. (Clio Press, Oxford
1988); MEMA Shpëtim Shqipëria dhe shqiptarët në veprat e udhëtarëve anglezë
të gjysmës së parë të shekullit XIX (Shtëpia Botuese "8 Nëntori", Tiranë,
1988); BELUSCI Antonio Dizionario frazeologico degli Albanesi d'Italia e di
Grecia (Cozenca, 1989); KADARE, Ismail Poèmes 1958-1988. (Fayard, Paris
1989); SHKRELI, Azem The call of the owl. Translated from the Albanian by
John Hodgson. (Rilindja, Prishtinë, 1989); ZOTOS, Alexandre La poésie
albanaise. Les cahiers de poesie-rencontres 26. (Lyons 1989); VINCA, Agim
Zieh dich zurŸck in den Vers Homers. Moderne Dichtung aus Kosovo. (Verband
der Literarischen Ubersetzer Kosovos, Mitrovice e Titos 1990); MIGJENI
Migjeni. Freie Verse. Gedichte aus Albanien. Ubertragen von Robert Elsie.
(Schulz-Kirchner, Idstein 1987), Free Verse. Translated from Albanian by
Robert Elsie. (8 Nëntori Publishing House, Tiranë, 1991); PODRIMJA, Ali Ich
sattle das Ross den Tod. (Weiser, Klagenfurt 1991); ELSIE, Robert, Albanian
literature in English translation: a short survey. in: The Slavonic and East
European Review (London, April, 1992); ÇABEJ Eqerem Shqiptarët midis
Perëndimit dhe Lindjes (MÇM, Tiranë, 1994); Përpjekja. E përtremuajshme
kulturore. (Tiranë, 1994-); SCALDAFERRI Nicola Musica Arbereshe in
Basilicata (La tradizione musicale di San Costantino Albanese con
riferimenti a quella di San Paolo Albanese) Adriatica Editrice Salentina,
Lecce, 1994; TOPALLI Kolec Theksi në Gjuhën Shqipe (Shtëpia Botuese Enciklopedike, Tiranë, 1995); Hylli i Dritës. E përkohshme kulturore-letrare. ((1913-1935), Tiranë, 1995-); PËRNASKA Remzi, Kundranori me parafjalë në gjuhën e sotme shqipe, (Biblioteka "Fryma", Shtëpia botuese "Dukagjini", Pejë, 1996).

My project:

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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RANDOM ENTRIES ON PERSONS, RATANTS, {FOLKS}, & OTHER PERSONALITIES.

- Marubi, (expos 1997)

- Charles Aznavour, the well-known French singer Š

- Francis Bacon

- A. Tàpies

- Lucio Dalla

- Ionesco

- Bob Dylan

- Renaud

- Jacques Brel

- Georges Brasens

- Ry Cooder

- Lucio Dalla

- Eugène Delacroix

- Gjon Mili

- Joan Baez

- Gjyshja ime [My Granny]

- Olivier Messiaen

- René Clemencic

- Bourvil

- Coluche

- Woodie Guthrie

- Ehat Musa

- Daut Berisha

- Valdet

- Mark Twain

- Ennio Morricone

and many more Š

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