2171: Albania and Shqipëri Nov 24, 2020

The country of Albania is known by that name or a similar cognate in most other languages, but in the Albanian language it is called 'Shqipëri'. While the name 'Albania' comes from Latin in the 2nd century, Shqipëri is only attested from the 14th and was not popular until the 17th or 18th centuries, before which they called it 'Arbëri'. The newer has a somewhat contended origin. It is commonly thought to come from 'shqipe' (eagle), especially considering the national symbolism, as seen on the flag. That said, other explanations also place the meaning as coming from 'shqipoj' (to speak clearly), which is historically a pretty common way to name a people, as with 'Slovenia' meaning the same thing, but from a Slavic root. Another idea connects this name to the city of Skopje, the capital of Northern Macedonia, originally from Greek meaning 'observe', denoting the mountains of the area. Considering the various ethnic groups of the Balkans and the way territory and demographics have shifted around throughout history, any of these explanations could be said to have a solid basis.