The Historical Development of the Alphabets Used in Albanian Old Texts from the 16th–18th Centuries

Abstract

This paper examines the use of various alphabets to write the Albanian language throughout different historical periods. Early Albanian authors primarily wrote in the Latin alphabet, employing a simple phonetic system that included a few special characters. The choice of alphabet during this time was influenced by religious and cultural factors—Catholic writers predominantly used the Latin script, while Orthodox writers often opted for the Greek alphabet. The diversity of alphabets reflected broader religious and cultural influences, blending elements of both Western and Eastern traditions. Beyond the Latin alphabet, the use of Greek and Arabic scripts further contributed to the complex evolution of Albanian writing, shaped by religious and social factors. In the 18th century, under Ottoman rule, political and religious influences led to the adoption of the Arabic alphabet, particularly by the (Baytaji) Bejtexhi poets. However, due to its consonant-heavy nature, the Arabic script was not well-suited for accurately representing Albanian phonetics, creating significant challenges. During this period, efforts were also made to develop original alphabets for Albanian, such as the Elbasan and Berat scripts, which aimed to establish a standardized writing system. Nevertheless, between the 16th and 18th centuries, Albanians lacked a unified alphabet, and attempts to create one persisted well beyond this period.