Nartë
Άρτα
Village
Trilingual sign in Nartë
Trilingual sign in Nartë
Nartë is located in Albania
Nartë
Nartë
Coordinates: 40°29′57″N 19°27′26″E / 40.49917°N 19.45722°E / 40.49917; 19.45722
Country Albania
CountyVlorë
MunicipalityVlorë
Municipal unitQendër Vlorë
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Nartë (Albanian definite form: Narta; Greek: Νάρτα, also Άρτα, Arta or Παλαιοάρτα, Palioarta)[1] is a community in Vlorë County. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë.[2] It is situated northwest of the city of Vlorë. It is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Greeks who speak a unique northern Greek dialect, as well as Albanian.

Etymology

There is no convincing origin for the name of the settlement.[3] Doris Kyriazis argues that the toponym Narta derives from Slavic and means 'summit', 'cape'.[4] Synonymous toponyms are also found in various locations in the Slavic world.[5] According to this view, from Slavic it would have been transmitted into Greek Άρτα and Albanian Nartë.[6] Kyriazis also states that the prefix n- comes possibly from the Greek language through the evolution 'tin Arta' -> 'ti Narta' -> 'Narta' and was used as a loan in the Albanian language.[7] Alternatively Shaban Demiraj argues that the name Nartë is from through the Albanian preposition në meaning "in" or "to", and Arta.

Demographics

The local population are predominantly members of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, just like the inhabitants of neighboring Zvërnec, and both use a distinct northern idiom of modern Greek.[8][9][10][11] They also speak Albanian.[12] Due to emigration to Greece, the population of the village as of 2023 is estimated to be no more than 250; one-tenth of its population three decades ago.[13]

Dialect

Narte is the northernmost area of Greek speech among the Greek speaking regions in Albania, while in the local dialect northern vocalism prevails.[14] Due it its geographic isolation it preserves archaic features. Under this context it has partial isoglosses with Greek speech in Magna Graecia, the Ionian islands, Epirus but also with more distant Greek-speaking centres: Cyprus, Thrace and Asia Minor.[15] Due to the isolation of the People's Republic of Albania (1945-1991) the local Greek dialect was not affected by modern standard Greek. Nevertheless after the restoration of democracy in Albania (1991) standard Greek became popular especially among the younger generations.[16]

According to Doris Kyriazis, the uninterrupted presence of the local Greek dialect is also attested by the loans it provided to the adjacent Albanian dialects.[17]

History

During classical antiquity the coastal area of the Bay of Vlorë, where the present-day villages of Nartë and Zvërnec are located, was settled by Ancient Greeks. Since at present those two villages constitute the northernmost pockets of Modern Greek speech, scholar Hatzopoulos (1997) wonders if it is a coincidence or they are isolated relics of the ancient Balaiitai and Horikioi.[18][19] The view of an uninterrupted Greek presence from antiquity is rejected by Sh. Demiraj (2010), on the grounds that it is not backed up by linguistic evidence or historic documentation, instead arguing that their ancestors consist of relatively late incoming emigrants from the Greek speaking areas of Arta. Demiraj points to anthroponymic data gathered from 16th century Ottoman tax registers, specifically those of the years 1520 and 1583, in which the defters of the village of Narta display south Albanian Orthodox anthroponomy. Moreover, the names attested lack the Greek suffix "s", and contain consonants unusual to modern Greek, such as /b (Bogdan, Tërbari). Since the population of the village partly consists of immigrants from neighboring Albanian villages, indicated by surnames like Bulku or Palasa, the issue regarding the use of the Greek language remains open.[19] Kyriazis (2012) argues that those 16th century Ottoman registers provide proofs of the continuity and the differentiation of the synthesis of the population.[20] He also states that if we consider that the local Greek speech has a depth of time that reaches antiquity, then we should investigate and interpret how and when it acquired characteristics of northern vocalism.[17]

The settlement is mentioned at the first time as Narda in an Ottoman traveller's log of 1520.[21]

In 1873 a Greek school was founded in the village. Greek education was expanded with the opening of a girls' school and a kindergarten in the early 1900s.[22]

With the incorporation of the area to the Albanian state (1912) the Greek school was closed down. During the People's Republic of Albania (1945-1991) public use of the Greek language was prohibited as well as any mention of the Greek origin of the locals.[23]

Geography

The surrounding region has many salt marshes. Narta Lagoon, which hosts a unique ecosystem, lies north of the village.[24] The salt marches of Narta constitute a rare and characteristic habitat type and is a unique feature in Albania.[25]

Attractions

One of the local tourist attractions is the annual three-day festival.[26] It was revived on 11-13 April 2004, after a lapse of several years.[27] It takes place in the second week of April were Carnival celebration occur. The festivities also include concerts, an ethno-gastronomic fair, sports and public awareness events.[28]

An Orthodox church lies on the centre of the village.[29]

Bibliography

  • Demiraj, Shaban (2010). "Narta". In Demiraj, Bardhyl (ed.). Wir sind die Deinen: Studien zur albanischen Sprache, Literatur und Kulturgeschichte, dem Gedenken an Martin Camaj (1925-1992) gewidmet (in Albanian). Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-06221-3.
  • Kyriazis, Doris (2012). "The Greek Idiom of Arta (Vlore)". 10ο Διεθνές Συνέδριο Ελληνικής Γλωσσολογίας: 891. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  • Kyriazis, Doris K. (2018). "Language contact and onomastics: tautological constructs, folk etymologies and some methodological issues". Romanoslavica. LIV (3): 161–170. ISSN 2537-4214. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  • Papayannis, Thymio (2008). Action for culture in Mediterranean wetlands (PDF). Athens: Med-INA. ISBN 978-960-89972-0-2. Retrieved 20 September 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière, Hammond (1967). Epirus: the Geography, the Ancient Remains, the History and Topography of Epirus and Adjacent Areas. Clarendon P. p. 131. [...] Greek speaking village of Arta or Palioarta, as it is called locally (incorrectly Narte on the staff map)
  2. ↑ "Law nr. 115/2014" (PDF) (in Albanian). p. 6376. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Kyriazis, 2012, p. 896
  4. ↑ Kyriazis, 2018, p. 161
  5. ↑ Kyriazis, 2012, p. 896
  6. ↑ Kyriazis, 2018, p. 162
  7. ↑ Kyriazis, Doris (2001). "Greek Influence on the Albanian Language". Didaktorika.gr (in Greek). Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: 145, 177. Retrieved 29 November 2022. πριν από φωνήεν: Άρτα ['aita] > N'artë. Πιθανότατα εδώ η ανάπτυξη έγινε στην ελληνική και οφείλεται στη συμπροφορά: την Άρτα > τηνΆρτα > τη Νάρτα > Νάρτα, Το τοπωνύμιο Nartë, χωριό κοντά στην Αυλώνα, από συνεκφορά την Αρτά > την Νάρτα > τη Νάρτα > N'artë
  8. ↑ "Η σχέση του Ελληνικού γλωσσικού ιδιώματος της Χειμάρρας με τα άλλα νεοελληνικά ιδιώματα". Archived from the original on 2016-05-07.
  9. ↑ Κυριακής, Δώρης Κ. "ΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΓΛΩΣΣΙΚΟ ΙΔΙΩΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΑΡΤΑΣ ΑΥΛΩΝΑ Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσ/νίκης" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-21.
  10. ↑ Doris, 2012, p.
  11. ↑ Πιτούλη – Κίτσου Χριστίνα, Οι Ελληνοαλβανικές Σχέσεις και το Βορειοηπειρωτικό Ζήτημα κατά τη Περίοδο 1907 – 1914, Athens 1997, page 120.
  12. ↑ Demiraj 2010, p. 566: "Midis vendbanimeve të Gjirit të Vlorës, që si gjuhë amtare prej shekujsh kanë pasur shqipen, veçohet fshati i Nartës, ku banorët flasin greqisht (dhe shqip)."
  13. ↑ https://balkaninsight.com/2023/04/20/deserted-albanian-village-tries-to-keep-ancient-carnival-alive/
  14. ↑ Spyrou, Aristotle (2014). "Modern Greek Dialects of Albania | Vestnik of St.Petersburg State University. Series 9. PHILOLOGY. ASIAN STUDIES. JOURNALISM". MFK.spbu.ru: 410. Retrieved 14 August 2022. [...] in the northernmost point of the hellenophony, the dialect of Narta, the northern vocalism prevails.
  15. ↑ Kyriazis, 2012, p. 898-897
  16. ↑ Kyriazis, 2012, p. 891-892
  17. 1 2 Kyriazis, 2012, p. 897: "Η διαχρονική του παρουσία επιβεβαιώνεται κι από τις λέξεις που δάνεισε στα γειτονικά ιδιώματα της αλβανικής. Αν θεωρήσουμε ότι στο γεωγραφικό αυτό σημείο η ελληνική διαθέτει βάθος χρόνου που αγγίζει την αρχαιότητα, θα πρέπει να ερευνήσουμε και να ερμηνεύσουμε πώς και πότε η συγκεκριμένη εστία ελληνοφωνίας απέκτησε χαρακτηριστικά βόρειου φωνηεντισμού. Οφείλεται αυτό σε μια μεταγενέστερη, κατά τα χρόνια πιθανόν της πρώιμης Τουρκοκρατίας, μαζική εγκατάσταση πληθυσμού που μιλούσε βόρειο ιδίωμα8; Ή μήπως ήταν η ίδια η εσωτερική δυναμική του ιδιώματος που οδήγησε σε αυτή την εξέλιξη9; Σημειώνουμε ότι οι ενδυμασίες των γυναικών της ΆΑ και η συνήθειά τους να κουβαλάνε αντικείμενα τοποθετώντας τα πάνω στο κεφάλι, προσιδιάζουν με αυτά της νησιωτικής Ελλάδας (Επτάνησα) και της Κάτω Ιταλίας. Η σύνθετη προβληματική που αναδύεται δεν μπορεί να αντιμετωπιστεί παρά μόνο με μια διεπιστημονική προσέγγιση."
  18. ↑ Hatzopoulos, Sakellariou & Loukopoulou 1997, pp. 144-145: "The above review suggests that the northern boundaries of Hellenism in Epirus during Classical Antiquity lay in the valley of the Aoos . Is it purely chance that at the present day, the northernmost Greek - speaking villages are Arta and Svernitsa in the Gulf of Aulon -isolated relics of the ancient Horikioi and Balaiitai?"
  19. 1 2 Demiraj 2010, p. 573
  20. ↑ Kyriazis, Doris (2012). "Slavic elements in the Greek idioms of South Albania". Philologica Jassyensia. 15 (VII/I): 162. Retrieved 12 September 2017. owever, there are a lot of – mainly women's – names recorded only in AA that can help us in following the course and the demographic synthesis of this settlement. In the ledger of 1520, names of Slavic origin are found as well as the diminutive suffix –ko, whereas in the one of 1583 there is at least one case in which we learn that Vaso Lito is from Maura (island of Lefkada − Λευκάδα). The examples above are proofs of the continuity and the differentiation of the synthesis of the AA population.
  21. ↑ Doris, 2012, p. 896
  22. ↑ Koltsida, Athina (2008). Η Εκπαίδευση στη Βόρειο Ήπειρο κατά την Ύστερη Περίοδο της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας [Education in Northern Epirus during the Latter Ottoman Period] (pdf) (in Greek). Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. pp. 249–250. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  23. ↑ Kyriazis, 2012, p. 891
  24. ↑ Council of Europe, Albania. Ministry of Health and Environment (1995). Protection of coastal areas of the Adriatic Sea: proceedings : colloquy organised within the framework of European Nature Conservation Year 1995 in co-operation with the Ministry of Health and Environment of Albania. Council of Europe. ISBN 978-92-871-2851-5.
  25. ↑ Papayannis, 2008, p. 89
  26. ↑ Gloyer Gillian (2008). The Bradt Travel Guide Albania. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-84162-246-0.
  27. ↑ Papayannis, 2008, p. 107
  28. ↑ Papayannis, 2008, p. 107, 206
  29. ↑ Genuario Belmonte; Salvatore Moscatello; Anna Maria Miglietta; Bilal Shkurtaj (2008). "Ecotourism in Albania: the proposal of naturalistic routes in the Vlora region". Thalassia Salentina. 31 (1). doi:10.1285/i15910725v31p13.
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