TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Romanian, *Turkish, *OE)

This forum is for the Total Annihilation Challenge. See the sticky thread for more information.

Moderators:''', Forum Administrators

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)
TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Romanian, *Turkish, *OE)

Postby Michael » 2017-12-31, 20:10

(sq) Albanian (gjuha shqipeshqipja)
Current level: A2~B1 speaking, B1 reading.
Goals: B2 speaking, B2 reading.
Materials: №1 Discovering Albanian 1 [Textbook] [83% COMPLETION], auth. Linda Mëniku & Héctor Campos, 416 pages (The Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 2011). №2 Dizionario albanese. Albanese-italiano, italiano-albanese, 444 pages (DeAgostini, 2008).

 After 16 months of laboring through №1, including the two hiatuses that I took, 7 and 4 months long respectively—wait, then it's really only 5 months that I spent going through the textbook!—I've finally attained a solid intermediate level of knowledge of Standard Albanian.
 Short-term goals are to 1.) work through the 3 lessons I have left in №1, 2.) keep up with daily Anki reviews and not let reviews pileup, and 3.) continue expanding upon what I already know. For those interested, I will strive to post one song and its translation per week, perhaps with an accompanying morphological gloss if I've feeling up to it. (Nobody ended up expressing any interest in this, so I didn't bother going through with it. However, if even a single one of you is interested, don't hesitate to let me know.)


    (sq-aln) Gheg Albanian (gegnisht)
    Current level: A0~1 speaking, A1 reading. (Southern & Central Gheg)
    Goals: A2 speaking, B1 reading.
    Materials: №1 DLI Albanian Language Course • plisi.org.

     After enough time has passed for me to have consolidated the material from the aforementioned 3 final lessons of №1, some long-term goals of mine are to 1.) start venturing out into a Gheg dialect, 2.) make a concerted effort to switch from the "clean", neutral, and unmarked Northern Tosk accent I have now to a looser, more "relaxed" Southern or Central Gheg accent, 3.) master the most frequent and most important lexical items specific to Gheg, and, 4.) respectively, get accustomed to hearing and using Gheg-specific grammatical constructions. However, I'm not ultimately sure just how in-depth I'll be able to go with it—it depends on how soon I can find a №2. (Never mind—with the finding of plisi.org, this is no longer an issue.)

    (la)Proto-Albanian (gjuha proto-shqipeshqipja e vjetër ‹Old Albanian›parashqipja ‹Pre-Albanian›)
    †I've decided to use the Latin flag to represent Proto-Albanian since the ancestors of the modern Albanians during this time period had been under Roman governance and cultural influence for quite some time, and it is during this time that the first Latin loanwords started entering PA.
    Current level: (CEFR scale N/A here.) As of now, I merely know the [attested] PA ancestors of some few dozen MnA words of indigenous stock or so, having only learned a couple of the phonological evolutions behind them, e.g.: PA *sana (thing) → MnA gjâ, PA *sina (breast) → MnA gji, and PA *seksti- (six) → MnA gjashtë, showing *s-gj-; PA *bardza (white) → MnA (i,e) bardhë and PA *ambi-ledza (to gather, collect) → MnA mbledh, showing *-dz--dh-.
    Goals: (CEFR scale N/A here.) I have no clear-cut goal. I'm primarily interested in studying the evolution of historical Albanian phonology, as well as finding out in which spots MnA grammar has simplified and sanded itself down, what with its reputation for prominent syncretism. It's been a fantasy of mine to study PA for a little while now, and I eagerly look forward to studying the first chapter.
    Materials: №1 A Concise Historical Grammar of the Albanian Language: Reconstruction of Proto-Albanian, auth. Vladimir Orel, 355 pages (BRILL, 2000).

(ro) Romanian (limba românăromânește)
Current level: A0 speaking, A0 reading.
Goals: A2 speaking, B1 reading.
Materials: №1 TY Romanian, auth. Dennis Deletant & Yvonne Alexandrescu, 273 pages (McGraw-Hill, 1992, 2003).

ᴘᴀssɪᴠᴇ (tr) Turkish (Türkçe)
Current level: A0~A1 speaking, A1 reading.
Goals: A2 speaking, B1 reading.
Materials: №1 Colloquial Turkish, auth. Yusuf Mardin, 291 pages (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976). №2 Starting Turkish, auth. Orhan Doğan, 95 pages (Milet Publishing, 2006).

ᴘᴀssɪᴠᴇ (en_old) Old English (i.e. Anglo-Saxon) (Ænglisċ)
Current level: A1 speaking, A1 reading.
Goals: A2 speaking, B1 reading.
Materials: №1 “An Old English Grammar and Exercise Book” [100% COMPLETION], auth. C. Alphonso Smith, 89 pages (Louisiana State University, 1896) [click here for public-domain digital PDF]. №2 Teach Yourself Complete Old English (Anglo-Saxon), auth. Mark Atherton, 341 pages (McGraw-Hill, 2010).

 My Old English skills, which hadn't yet even matured to begin with, have gone dormant, but it shouldn't be an issue for me to resuscitate them; it'll just take a couple weeks, then I'll be all up-to-date. I'll start knocking out the backed-up Anki reviews, reviving all that I learnt from №1 over the summer, after which I will be ready to move on to №2.
 In addition to my active study of №2, I shall also be reading at least an article per week from the Old English Wikipedia, so that I can get used to OE word construction and get a feel for "practical" OE, taking note of any new vocabulary I pick up in the process.


―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

ᴏɴ ʜᴏʟᴅ (zh) Mandarin Chinese (Simplified) (中文 Zhōngwén)
Current level: A0 speaking, A0 reading.
Goals: A1 speaking, A2 reading.
Materials: №1 Cinese in 21 giorni (‘Chinese in 21 Days’), auth. Massimo De Donno, 379 pages (Sperling & Kupfer Editori S.p.A., 2016). №2 Memrise: Mandarin Chinese 1
[100% COMPLETION]. №3 Memrise: Mandarin Chinese 2. №4 Memrise: Mandarin Chinese 3.

ᴏɴ ʜᴏʟᴅ (it) Italian (Italiano)
Current level: B1 speaking, B1 reading.
Goals: B2 speaking, C1 reading.
Materials: №1 Italian Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, auth. Carlo Graziano, 247 pages (McGraw-Hill, 2008). №2 Italian Vocabulary, auth. Daniela Gobetti, 216 pages (McGraw-Hill, 2012). №3 Parla e Scrivi: La lingua italiana come L2 a livello elementare e avanzato, 325 pages (Cendali Editori in Firenze, 2011).
Last edited by Michael on 2018-05-01, 1:29, edited 16 times in total.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby vijayjohn » 2018-01-01, 7:06

Michael wrote:Materials: 1.) Cinese in 21 giorni

Aha, that must be what finally made you add Mandarin to your TAC! :P :D

Btw, what's with the asterisk before "Mandarin" in the title?

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-01-01, 10:16

vijayjohn wrote:Btw, what's with the asterisk before "Mandarin" in the title?

Look to the left of the Chinese flag that comes before the language name on the post.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby vijayjohn » 2018-01-01, 16:52

Michael wrote:
vijayjohn wrote:Btw, what's with the asterisk before "Mandarin" in the title?

Look to the left of the Chinese flag that comes before the language name on the post.

Ah, OK, thanks! :)

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-01-07, 2:48

JAVA E PARË, e shtunë, më 6 [gjashtë] janar
SĒO ǢRESTA WUCU, Sæternesdæġ sē 6ta [siexta] Ianuarii
THE FIRST WEEK, Saturday the 6th of January

(sq) S’kam përparuar në libër mësimi, vazhduar së punuari vetëm të parën e treta të Mësimit e 16. Megjithatë, jam marrë shumë me gjuhën shqipe së fundi, dhe ndihem se aftësitë e mia rriten me kalimin e çdo dite. U bashkova me një grup Facebook-u i quajtur “Gjuha shqipe pa gabime” dje, dhe mbasi më pranoi administratorja, përgatita një postim tepër të gjatë, duke filluar për të dhënë faleminderit tim e për të përshënditur të gjithë anëtarët, në të cilin shkrova ca fjalë për veten time, tregova me hollësi me se kam mësuar gjuhën si dhe shkaqet për të cilat u vendosa të nisesha në rrugëtimin e mësimit të gjuhës shqipe, dhe përfshiva ca hollësi të tjera. Moj, përgjigjet që filluan të hynin qenkëshin dërrmuese, dhe reagimi nga grupi qenkësh tepër i ngrohtë, nëse jo njëri mahnitjeje! Akoma s’jam përgjigjur secilit që komentoi, sa shumë veta më shkruakëshin! Një udhëtim zbavitës po më pret!
:partyhat:

I haven’t gone further in the textbook, having only worked on on the first third of Lesson 16. In spite of that, I’ve been quite occupied with Albanian recently, and I feel like my [Albanian] skills increase with the passing of each day. I joined a Facebook group called “The Albanian language without mistakes” yesterday, and after the [group] administrator approved me, I wrote up quite a lengthy post, starting out by giving my thanks and greeting all the members [of the group], in which I wrote a few words about myself, described in detail how I’ve been learning the language as well as the reasons for which I decided to embark on the journey of learning the Albanian language, and I included some other details. My, oh my! the responses that began to pour in were overwhelming, and the reaction was quite warm, if not one of astonishment! I still haven’t responded to everyone who commented, that many people have written! I’m in for a fun ride!
:partyhat:

(en_old) Iċ hæbbe ġefandod tō wyrċenne þā Anki ġemynda dæġmǣlum, ġeëndebyrdende þā ġemynda bī þām dæġe þā iċ macode ǣlce cartan, ac iċ hæbbe ġefeallen behindan. Swāðēah, ongunnon tō ācwiciġenne þā hwēol on þām dǣle mīnes bræġenes hwǣr līð mīn wīsdōm þǣre Ænglisċan ġereorde. :?:

I’ve been trying to tackle the Anki reviews day by day, ordering the reviews by the date I created each individual card, but I’ve fallen behind. Nonetheless, the cogs in the part of my brain where my OE knowledge is stored are starting to turn.
Last edited by Michael on 2018-01-07, 5:13, edited 1 time in total.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby vijayjohn » 2018-01-07, 4:18

Michael wrote:I haven’t gone further in the textbook, having only worked on on the first third of Lesson 16. In spite of that, I’ve been quite occupied with Albanian recently, and I feel like my [Albanian] skills increase with the passing of each day. I joined a Facebook group called “The Albanian language without mistakes” yesterday, and after the [group] administrator approved me, I wrote up quite a lengthy post, starting out by giving my thanks and greeting all the members [of the group], in which I wrote a few words about myself, described in detail how I’ve been learning the language as well as the reasons for which I decided to embark on the journey of learning the Albanian language, and I included some other details. My, oh my! the responses that began to pour in were overwhelming, and the reaction was quite warm, if not one of astonishment! I still haven’t responded to everyone who commented, that many people have written! I’m in for a fun ride!
:partyhat:

This is like what happened to me when I joined r/serbia. I introduced myself, then got some responses, then got someone begging me to write an Ask Me Anything post (AMA), then got something like 100 comments. :lol: (And then I got someone else begging me to write another one on r/croatia!). Unfortunately, it seems to be getting far more right-wing than it used to be. (I posted an article in Serbian about how Serbian Roma are persecuted, and the top comment (not the top-voted one, but the one at the top of the article, which did still get a lot of votes) was all "yeah I live in Germany and for every good gypsy there are ten bad ones, they're stinky they're dirty they're lazy blah blah blah"). Completely off-topic btw, but did you know I've been posting a bunch of songs from Molise lately?

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-01-11, 3:33

The following poem was shared on one of the Albanian language groups I just joined on FB, and since I've never translated Albanian poetry before, I figured I'd give it a go. It's a distinctive example of Gheg, which made translating it a bit more of a challenge (but a fun one!), but with the help of the expansive monolingual online "Dictionary of Modern Albanian" (Fjalori i Gjuhës së Sotme Shqipe), I was able to look up all the Gheg-specific vocabulary contained within. Basically, it's dedicated to the Albanian national hero, George Castriot Scanderbeg (Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu). My translations are shoddy, but I tried to capture the tone of the original as best as I could.

EDIT: This happens to be my 7,000th post! Not that that has any significance at all. :P

Image

(it) “ALLA TOMBA DI SCANDERBEG

(Nella chiesa di S. Collo in Lescio)

Qui avevano interrato a Scanderbeg,
il primo delle grande guerre d'Albania
qui avevano interrato quello che ebbero ferito
22 soldati di Turchia.

Qui è la Sua tomba, e quanto tempo sia che è passato,
Mai non se gli è domato il valore della felicità
Che il mondo neanche una volta non può dimenticare
I luoghi del coraggio di Scanderbeg degli albanesi.

Il Valoroso non muore mai, che sempre luminosa
Gli rimane la fama e si conosce con onore
Mentre che i signori, la luna e il sole splenderanno!

Mi pare che viene, allora, un tempo che colle decorazione della campagna,
Che su di questa tomba celebrata si scriva:
«Questa è la tomba del Grande Scanderbeg degli albanesi.»”

(en) “AT SCANDERBEG'S TOMB

(At the church of S. Kollë in Leshë)

Here did they lay to rest Scanderbeg
The first of the great warriors of Albania
here did they had lay to rest him whom
22 soldiers of Turkey did wound.

Here lies His tomb, and however much time may have passed,
The value of freedom has never been quelled
Because not even once can the world forget
The venues of courage of Scanderbeg of the Albanians.

The Brave One never dies, because always bright
Will his fame remain and he will be renowned with honor
Whilst the gentlemen, the moon and the son will shine!

It seems to me that the time is coming, then, that with decorations of the field,
Over this celebrated tomb will it be written:
«This is the tomb of the Great Scanderbeg of the Albanians.»”
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-01-12, 15:52

JAVA E DYTË, më e premte 12 [=dymbëdhjetë] janar
SĒO ŌÐRU WUCU, Friġedæġ sē 12ta [=twėlfta] æfterra ġēola (Ianuarii)
THE SECOND WEEK, Friday the 12th of January

(sq) Përparova në Mësimin e 16 [=Gjashtëmbëdhjetë], jo aq mirë siç shpresoja, por megjithatë është diçka… Gjithsesi, s’ka rëndësi, sepse kam qenë duke e praktikuar shumë gjuhën shqipe gjatë gjithë javës së kaluar. Shkarkova nji aplikacion radioje shqiptare dhe duke dëgjuar stacione, që jo vetëm luajnë muzikë, por edhe shpërndajnë komente dhe bisedime drejtpërdrejt, aftësimi im i dëgjimit po theksohet gjithnjë e më shumë, së paku përsa i përket Toskërishtes.

I’ve progressed in Lesson 16, not quite as well as I hoped, nevertheless it’s something… Doesn’t matter in any case, because I’ve been practicing my Albanian a whole lot for the last week. I downloaded an Albanian radio app, and since I’ve been listening to stations that not only play music but also broadcast live commentary and conversations, my listening skill is becoming increasingly more sharpened, at least when it comes to Tosk Albanian.

Së fundi, kam zbuluar nji burim të mrekullueshëm dhe të jashtëzakonshëm, fjalori Anglisht<>Shqip i Glosbe-s. Glosbe-ja më ngjan më shumë si nji bazë të dhënash, sesa nji fjalor i zakonshëm, se (fjalë për fjalë nga faqja) “Glosbe-ja nuk mban fjalën, por më së shumti idenë e asaj çka nënkupton fjala”. Paska 17.275 shprehje dhe 1.517.560 fjali të përkthyera. Një gjë që e bën këtë fjalor kaq cilësor është se, krahas pjesës kryesore të fjalorit, ka nji pjesë ku jepen fjali si shembuj. Këta shembuj shpesh janë të shumtë për çdo kryefjalë, zakonisht të shfaqur brenda gjendjes së një paragrafi të tërë dhe mblidhen të gjithë prej burimeve të “jetës së vërtetë”. Ky ma ka ndryshuar plotësisht mënyrën që mësoj shqip; GT-in si fjalor pothuajse e kam braktisur! :D

I’ve recently discovered a marvelous, exceptional resource, the Glosbe English<>Albanian dictionary. Glosbe seems to me to be more of a database than a conventional dictionary, as (verbatim from the website) “Glosbe does not store word but rather the idea of what the word means”. It has 17,275 phrases and 1,517,560 phrases translated at the moment! What makes this dictionary so distinctive is that besides the main part of the dictionary there’s an exemplary sentences section. These examples are often numerous per each headword, usually shown within the context of an entire paragraph, and they are all taken from “real life” sources. It has completely changed the way that I learn Albanian; I’ve all but abandoned GT as a dictionary! :D

Sapo kam lexuar nji artikull të vogël, mësova nji sërë fjalësh të reja, të cilat do t’i shtoj më poshtë. Kam për qëllim që të shtoj këto si dhe të gjitha fjalët e reja që do të gjej këtej, te nji grumbull Anki-u, duke i rreshtuar fjalët në temën time personale sipas radhës numerike, për të matur saktësinë e gjithçkaje që përfundoj së mësuari.

I just read a short article, learning a plethora of new words [in the process], which I will add below. I plan on adding these and all new words I come upon from here on out to a dedicated Anki deck, listing the words here on my personal thread in numerical order, so as to measure the exact extent of how much I end up learning.

(#1) Kjo është thënia më e mençur e të gjitha kohërave! E që nuk është mbajtur kurrë sekret!
(“This is the wisest word of advice of all time! And that has never been kept secret!”)
  1. i,e mençur smart, wise, clever
  2. shkri/j, -va, -rë to melt, thaw, disband, fuse
  3. fjalim, -i, -e(t) speech, discourse, address
  4. hulumt/oj, -ova, -uar to observe, explore, research, scrutinize
  5. theks, -i, -a(t) emphasis, accent, stress
  6. fitim, -i, -e(t) gain, benefit, earning, income, profit
  7. fuqizim, -i empowerment, abrogation
  8. rrëfenj/ë, -a, -a(t) story, narrative
  9. nji herë e nji kohë na ishte once upon a time (lit., “a time and an era there was to us”)
  10. tërb/oj, -ova, -uar to infuriate
  11. i,e palëkundur unflinching, steadfast, firm
  12. përpjetë upside down, thrown in the air
  13. ndijesi, -a, -Ø(të) feeling (less-common syn. of ndenjë and ndjeshmëri)
  14. përmbysj/e, -a, -e(t) overthrow, subversion
  15. ngurr/oj, -ova, -uar to hesitate, be reluctant
  16. fatmirësi apo fatkeqësi good luck or bad luck

(en_old) I’ve been so focused on Albanian this last week that I’ve totally blown off the Anki reviews. No regrets.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
dEhiN
Posts:6828
Joined:2013-08-18, 2:51
Real Name:David
Gender:male
Location:Toronto
Country:CACanada (Canada)
Contact:

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby dEhiN » 2018-01-16, 22:14

Michael wrote:I downloaded an Albanian radio app

What's the name of the app? I was listening to Radio Tirana 1 for a few days on TuneIn, and it was fun. In the evenings they would have a show that had the word nostalgji in it (I couldn't make out the rest of the show title), and it basically played classics (from 40s and 50s) in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. Other times during the day they would play Albanian pop music. But then suddenly, for some reason TuneIn stopped being able to connect to that station. They also had a Radio Tirana 2 station, but that one never seemed to work.
Native: (en-ca)
Active: (fr)(es)(pt-br)(ta-lk)(mi)(sq)(tl)
Inactive: (de)(ja)(yue)(oj)(id)(hu)(pl)(tr)(hi)(zh)(sv)(ko)(no)(it)(haw)(fy)(nl)(nah)(gl)(ro)(cy)(oc)(an)(sr)(en_old)(got)(sux)(grc)(la)(sgn-us)

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-01-17, 19:17

dEhiN wrote:What's the name of the app?

"Radio Shqip", if you have an iPhone.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-01-17, 21:29

JAVA E TRETË, më të mërkurë 17 (=shtatëmbëdhjetë) janar
SĒO ÞRIDDA WUCU, Wodenesdæġ sē 17þa (=Seofontēoþa) æfterra ġēola (Ianuarii)
THE THIRD WEEK, Wednesday the 17th of January

(sq) Përfundimisht, e kam plotësuar Mësimin 16! Të shumta fjalët, të dhëna në fjalorët e këtij mësimi nuk kanë qënë të reja, por rishikime, dhe kam një ndjenjë se do të jetë kështu edhe në 2 mësime që mbeten. 16/18, 89%

I've finally completed Lesson 16! A lot of the words given in the vocabulary sections of this lesson were not new, but reviews, and I have a hunch it'll also be this way in the 2 lessons remaining. 16/18, 89%

(en_old) I've only gone through one hundred of the Anki reviews.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-02-05, 6:51

JAVA E GJASHTË, më të dielën 4 [=katër] shkurt
SĒO SIEXTE WUCU, Sunnandæġ se 4þa [=Fēorþa] Solmōnaþ (Februarius)
THE SIXTH WEEK, Sunday the 4th of February

(sq) Jam në mes të Mësimit 17. Deri tani, ky mësim ka shpjeguar formimin e pjesores, por meqë kam qenë duke mësuar pjesoret së bashku me çdo folje e dhënë në libër, kam mundur ta anashkaloj shpjegimin. Madje s’kisha nevojë për t’i bërë një përmbledhje.

I'm in the middle of Lesson 17. Thus far, this lesson has explained the formation of the participle, but since I've been learning the participles together with each verb given in the book, I was able to forego the explanation. I didn't even need to review it.

Ja një artikull i shkurtër me përkthim:

Here's a short article with [accompanying] translation:

Situata në Gjirokastër, Bashkia: Të shpallet gjendja e emergjencës
The situation in Gjirokastra, Municipality: A state of emergency should be declared

Reshjet[1] e dendura[2] të shiut kanë shkaktuar vështirësi në qarkullimin rrugor në disa zona të Gjirokastrës.
The dense[2] downpours[1] of rain have caused difficulties in traffic flow in some zones of Gjirokastra.
1. reshj/e, -a, -e(t) precipitation, rainfall, downpour
2. i,e dendur dense


Bashkia e qytetit njofton se rruga që të çon për tek Parku i Antigonesë, një ndër destinacionet më të rëndësishme dhe më të vizituara nga turistët në këtë bashki, është e bllokuar plotësisht. Edhe Unaza e Gërhotit është e bllokuar për shkak të inerteve[3] të shumta që janë derdhur në rrugë nga reshjet e shiut.
The city leadership states that the street leading up to Antigone Park, one of the most important and most visited destinations by tourists in this municipality, is completely blocked. Even Unaza of Gërhot is blocked because of the many pieces of debris[3] that were strewn on the street by the downpours.
3. inert, -i, -e [piece of] debris

Ndërkohë, njoftohet për vështirësi në kalim edhe në rrugën që të çon në Paleokastër dhe Zhulat.
Meanwhile, difficulties are predicted (=‘it is predicted for difficulties’) for driving even on the street leading up to Paleokastra and Zhulat.

Për këtë shkak, Bashkia i kërkon qeverisë që të shpallë gjendjen e emergjencës. Kërkesa motivohet me situatën e krijuar nga rrëshkitja[4] e tokës në tri lagje[5] të qytetit.
For this reason, the Municipality requests that the government declare a state of emergency. The request is prompted by the situation created by the crumbling[4] of land in 3 parts[5] of the city.
4. rrëshkitj/e, -a crumbling ¶ … e tokës landslide (or crumbling of land)
5. lagj/e, -a, -e(t) ward, quarter, large number, part


(en_old) I've finally finished all the Anki reviews! :D And with that, I have rebooted my knowledge of all of the material I'd learnt from the Grammar & Worbook back in the summer. I can now move on to Atherton.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby vijayjohn » 2018-02-05, 7:44

Yay, so you've been making progress with both Albanian and Old English? Now what about Mandarin *grumblegrumble* lol jk

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-02-08, 3:38

vijayjohn wrote:Yay, so you've been making progress with both Albanian and Old English? Now what about Mandarin *grumblegrumble* lol jk

(en) For the time being, I've given up on dabbling† in Mandarin Chinese. I know for sure that I will return to it, because I never stopped liking the Chinese language, but it's just that I don't know how soon I'll return to it.
(sq) Tani për tani, jam dorëzuar të futem† me kinezishten mandarine. E di me siguri se do të kthehem në ‘të, sepse kurrë s’pushoi të më pëlqente gjuha kineze, veçse nuk e di sa shpejt do ti kthehem.
(en_old) For þǣre andweardan tīde, iċ hæbbe forlāten Cinesisċes ġefandian†. Iċ wāt ġefæstlīċe þæt iċ sċeal tō hiere eft-hweorfan, for þām þe sēo Cinesisċe sprǣċe næfre ne geswāc mē lician, ac iċ nāt swā hraþe iċ mæġ tō hiere eft-hweorfan. :?:
†I used the circumlocution "to introduce oneself to" in Albanian and "to try, experiment with" in OE in place of the MnE "to dabble in".
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian [+Gheg], Old English)

Postby Michael » 2018-03-09, 5:07

NË ÇAMËRI, ATJE KU EDHE GURËT FLASIN SHQIP…
In Chameria, the place where even the crags speak Albanian…

Të vizitosh Çamërinë është emocion dridhërues(1) [sic]. Për më tepër(2) që ditët e fundit po flitet aq shumë për të. Sot, prej politikanëve të lartë grek, duke përfshirë këtu edhe vetë presidentin Pavlopuolos, Çamëria është vënë në mirinë(3) [sic] të pushkës(4), njësoj si në kohën e Napolion Zervës. Duke ulur e ngritur se çështja e saj nuk egziston [sic], se shteti shqiptar duhet të heshtë(5) për të, ndryshe nuk do të bëhet pjesë e Evropës së Bashkuar, Athina zyrtare nuk po bën asgjë tjetër veçse po e përgjak(6) sërish fytyrën(7) e saj martire. Çamëria është dhimbje, është dhimbje krenare. Ajo vërtet mbetet ende plaga(8) që rrjedh gjak prej shtatit të kombit shqiptar, por Çamëria është edhe vend mitik, është vendi që i këndoi Homeri i pavdekshëm. Çamëria është tokë mbretësh dhe princash.
It’s a thrilling(1) feeling to visit Chameria. Especially(2) since in recent days it’s been talked about rather much. Today, among senior Greek politicians, including even President Pavlopoulos himself here, Chameria has come under a barrage(3) of gunfire(4), the same as in Napoleon Zervas’ time. While it (i.e. Athens) struts back and forth [about the alleged fact] that the Cham issue doesn’t exist, that the Albanian state should shut up(5) about it, [or] otherwise it won’t become a member of the European Union (lit. ‘United Europe’), Athens doesn’t do anything except (threaten to) bring bloodshed upon(6) [Chameria’s] martyred face(7). :?: Chameria is pain, it’s proud pain. Indeed, it still remains the wound(8) that bleeds from the Albanian nation-state, but Chameria is also a mythic land, it’s the land that the immortal Homer sang about. Chameria is the land of kings and princes.
1. drithërues(e) thrilling
2. për më tepër furthermore, moreover
3. mëri, -a wrath, ire, anger
4. pushk/ë, -a, -a rifle, gun, gunfire
5. hesht, -a, -ur to be silent
6. përgjak, -a, -ur to cause bloodshed, spill enemies’ blood
7. fytyr/ë, -a face, visage
8. plag/ë, -a, -a wound, injury, sore


http://gazeta-shqip.com/lajme/wp-conten ... /02/ca.jpg
http://gazeta-shqip.com/lajme/wp-conten ... 2/ca-1.jpg
http://gazeta-shqip.com/lajme/wp-conten ... 2/ca-2.jpg

Është vendi i mbretëreshës(9) Olimbi, nënës së Aleksandrit të Madh, por edhe i Pirro Burrit, mbretit të shquar të Epirit. Eshtë vendi i Gjin Bue Shpatës dhe i Pjetër Loshës që dominuan në mesjetë(10). Çamëria është vendi i Hasan Tahsinit, i Abedin Dinos, i Muharrem Rrushitit, por edhe i Bilal Xhaferrit e sa e sa(11) martirë të tjerë që bënë aq shumë për Shqipërinë. Çamëria është perla e Jonit, valët(12) e të cilit prej më shumë se një shekulli rënkojnë(13) thellë.
It’s the land of Queen(9) Olympia, mother of Alexander the Great, but also of Pirro Burri, distinguished king of Epirus. It’s the land of John Spata and Peter Losha who ruled in medieval times(10). Chameria is the land of Hassan Tahsin, Abedin Dinos, Muharrem Rrushit, but also of Bilal Jafar and countless(11) other martyrs who did as much for Albania. Chameria is the pearl of the Ionian, whose waves(12) deeply moan(13) for one century.
9. mbretëresh/ë, -a, -a queen, czarina
10. mesjet/ë, -a medieval time(s), lit. ‘midlife’ ¶ Mesjet/ë, -a the Middle Ages
11. sa e sa countless, lit. ‘how and how [many]’
12. val/ë, -a, -ë(t) wave, roller
13. rënk/oj, -ova, -uar to moan, groan


Mbi të gjitha, ajo është e pavdekshme. Pra jeton, bues(14) [sic], shpërthen mes(15) shqipes së saj mijra [sic] vjeçare, aq më tepër në këtë prag pranvere. Dhe për të vërtetuar(16) katërçipërisht(17) këtë e në të njejtën kohë për të hedhur poshtë(18) zërat që e mohojnë(19) dhe që jehojnë(20) si prej Hadit, perëndisë së vdekjes, do të mjaftonte të bënim veçse një vizitë të shkurtër në të. Kështu që, dridhmën(21) më të madhe e ndjen kur gjendesh brenda kufijve shtetërorë të fqinjit tonë jugor.
Above all, she’s immortal. So she lives on, thrives(14), takes up arms on behalf of(15) her 1000-year-old Albanian language, all the more so on this eve of spring. And in order to confirm(16) this on all sides(17) and at the same to reject(18) the voices that deny(19) it, and that exalt(20) [said voices] as if from Haides, lord of death, it would suffice that we make but one short visit to her (i.e. Chameria). So you’ll feel the greatest sense of amazement(21) when you find yourself within the national borders of our southern neighbors.
14. buis to thrive, swarm, abound
15. shpërth/ej, -eva, -yer to burst, burst forth, blow up, explode, break out (war) ¶ … mes to take up arms on behalf of, defend with one’s life
16. vërtet/oj, -ova, -uar to confirm, prove
17. katërçipërisht literary from all sides, lit. ‘from the four corners’
18. hedh, hodha, -ur poshtë to reject, discard, throw away
19. moh/oj, -ova, -uar to deny, refuse, negate
20. jeh/oj, -ova, -uar to ring, praise, exalt
21. dridhm/ë, -a, a(t) shiver, shudder, chills, goosebumps, (in this context) sense of awe or amazement


Tej Qafë(22) Botës, sapo kapërcen(23) kufirin shqiptaro- greko-shqiptar gjendesh në Sajadhë, një qytezë bregdetare kjo e njohur për pasuritë e saj qysh prej(24) periudhës mesjetare të princit arbëror Gjon Zenevishi. Ngadalëson(25) makinën në udhë e përshëndet në gjuhën shqipe kalimtarë(26) të rastit(27) e të panjohur.
Beyond Qafë Botë (lit.Neck(22)-of-World’), as soon as you cross over(23) the Greco-Albanian border you find yourself in Sajadhë, a coastal village known for her cultural riches dating from the beginning of(24) the medieval period of Albanian prince John Zenevish. One may slow— his/her car —down(25) on the road and greet random(27), unknown passersby(26) in Albanian.
22. qaf/ë, -a neck, collar, nape
23. kapërc/ej, -eva, -yer to jump—, climb—, leap— or hop over, overlap; excel, cope with, overcome, dominate
24. qysh nga +nom. OR … prej +abl. comp.prep. since the beginning of lit. ‘how from’
25. ngadalës/oj, -ova, -uar to slow down
26. kalimtar, -i, -ë(t) passer(s)by
27. i,e rastit random, lit. ‘of chance’


Për çudi e kënaqësi bashkë, ata që të gjithë ta kthejnë në shqip, aq sa(28) për një moment humbet mendjen e kujton se vazhdon të jesh në Shqipëri. Madje ndonjëri prej tyre ta bën me dorë(29) e të uron edhe udhë të mbarë. Rrugës(30) për në Filat, veç gërmadhave(31) të fshatrave çame si Spatari, Lopsi apo dhe Koska pak më tej, të bëjnë përshtypje tabelat(32) e shumta ku i vihet kryqi(33) aparateve fotografike. Pra në këto vende, ku gjurmët(34) e gjenocidit zervist(35) janë ende të gjalla, nuk mund të fotografosh asgjë.
Out of surprise and pleasure alike, people’s responding to everything you say in Albanian would be enough(28) for you to momentarily lose your mind and think that you're still in Albania. Any single one of them would wave(29) to you and even wish you a great trip. Heading towards(30) Filat, the many road signs(32) which mark where photography equipment is declared forbidden(33) make an impression on you, in addition to the ruins(31) of Cham villages like Spatari, Lopsi or even Koska a bit further. So in these places, wherein traces(34) of the Zervist(35) genocide are still fresh, you’re not allowed to take pictures of anything.
28. aq sa adv. as much as, enough [that…]
29. bë/j, -ra, -rë me dorë to wave, gesture, lit. ‘to do with hand’
30. rrugës për në +acc. comp.prep. enroute to, heading towards ¶ jam […] to be on one’s way
31. gërmadh/ë, -a, -a(t) ruin(s), rubble
32. tabel/ë, -a, -a(t) road sign
33. i vë kryq to cross out, declare as forbidden or banned
34. gjurm/ë, -a, -ë(t) track, footprint, trace, clue, scent, vestige
35. zervist pertaining to Napoleon Zervas, founder of the National Republican Greek League (EDES) (more background information about this in the spoiler box below)

► Show Spoiler

Me synim(36) për të vizituar mbarë Çamërinë shmangim buzëdetin që të shpie në Gumenicë dhe marrim të përpjetat(37) e rrugës së Paramithisë. Edhe për gjatë rrjedhës(38) së Kalamait, Thiamisit antik, emrat e fshatrave çame si Sidheri, Galbaqi, Minina, Nihori, etj. janë greqizuar duke u quajtur Elea, Nerada, Neohor. Si për kundërshtim të këtij mohimi, në malësinë e Paramithisë gjuha shqipe buiste, mbetet tepër e gjallë. Këtë e provojmë fare rastësisht në stacionin e autobuzit, para se të ngjitesh në qytetin mitik. Atje një zonjë flokëthinjur(39) rreth të pesëdhjetave, na dëfton(40) në shqip se prej qytetit të Paramithisë, burimi Aheronit, lumit të famshëm të Homerit, ku poeti i verbër shoqëron Odisenë në botën e të vdekurve për të takuar nënën si dhe Agamemnonin, nuk është më larg se njëzet kilometra.
With the intention(35) of thoroughly visiting Chameria, we avoid the coastline that leads to Gumenicë and we take the ascent(36) on the road to Paramythiá. Even along the path(37) to Kalamá, old Thiamis, the names of Cham villages such as Sidheri, Galbaqi, Minina, Nihori, etc. have been Hellenized, [now] being named [respectively] [missing], Elea, Nerada, Neohor. In opposition to this negative, however, the Albanian language was bustling in Paramythiá [when I was last there]; it remains rather vibrant. We confirm this rather coincidentally at the bus station, before you board for the mythic city. A gray-haired(38) lady around 50 years of age explains(39) to us in Albanian that from the city of Paramythiá, the point of origin of Homer’s famed river the Acheron, where the blind poet accompanies Odysseus in the world of the dead in order to find his mother as well as Agamemnon, it isn’t farther than 20 kilometers.
35. synim, -i, -e intention, aim, goal
36. e përpjet/ë, -a climb, ascent ¶ të përpjetat dhe të tatëpjetat the ups and downs
37. rrjedh/ë, -a, -a(t) flow, current, trail
38. flokëthinjur gray-haired
39. dëft/oj, -ova, -uar literary to explain, show, demonstrate (syn. of shpjegoj)


Ai lum, shton miqësisht çamja ortodokse, rrjedh prej maleve të Sulit, malësi kjo që ne as më pak e as më shumë të kujton malet e Mirditës kur shkon në Kosovë nëpërmjet udhës së kombit. Habitet ime shoqe pasi shqipja e gruas paramithjote është e njëjtë me tonën. Kështu që del nga makina dhe e falënderon duke e njatjetuar(40) përzemërsisht(41). Ndahemi nga kjo zonjë e pasi kemi vizituar Paramithinë, një tjetër befasi e këndshme na pret në fshatin Dhrahomi që tok(42) me Gardhiqin janë dy fshatrat më të fundit ku elementi muhamedan çam njihte shtrirjen(42) e tij gjeografike.
That river, adds the Orthodox Cham woman amicably, flows from the Suli mountains, which mountain range neither less nor more reminds you of the Mirdita mountains when you go to Kosovo via the national road. My friend is surprised because the Paramythian lady's Albanian is the same as ours. So she gets out of the car and thanks her while warmly(41) greeting(40) her. We part ways from this lady and after we've visited Paramythiá, another pleasant surprise awaits us in the village of Dhrahomi which together(42) with Gardhiqi are the two last villages where the Cham Mohammedan element acknowledged its geographic extent(43). :?:
40. njatjet/oj, -ova, -uar to greet, ‘say tungjatjeta (hi, hello)’
41. përzemërsisht warmly, kindly, cordially, wholeheartedly
42. tok regional together (syn. of bashkë and së bashku)
43. shtrirj/e, -a spread, extent, range, scope, reach


Në mungesë të tabelave orientuese(44) edhe këtu detyrohemi(45) të qëndrojmë e për të marrë udhën(46) e Sulit pyesim dy kalimtare të rastit. Gratë në fjalë(47) janë aty tek të pesëdhjetat, në moshë të gruas sime. Këtë herë pyetjet e bën ime shoqe dhe për kënaqësinë e saj përgjigjja na vjen po në shqip. Por, e papritura më e madhe do ndodhë në fshatin Gliqi, rrëzë(48) maleve të Sulit, ku zënë fill(49) çamo-fshatrat ortodokse të fushës së Frarit. Pasi lamë prapa një grumbull(50) pleqsh që rreth një rrapi(51) shekullor pinin kafe e llafosnin(52) shqip, i afrohemi një shtëpie dykatëshe, oborri i së cilës shërbente si lulishte(53) e ku gjithashtu një numër njerëzish pinin kafe.
In the absence of navigational(44) signs we're obliged(45) to stop here as well, and we ask two random passersby how to get to(46) Suli. Said(47) women are up there around 50, my wife's age. This time it's my friend who asks the questions, and to her delight we are responded to (‘the answer comes to us’) in Albanian. But the most unexpected thing would happen in the village of Gliqi at the foot of(48) the Suli mountains, which is at the entrance of(49) the Orthodox Cham villages of the Frari Valley. After we left behind a group(50) of old men who were drinking coffee around a 100-year-old sycamore(51) and chitchatting(52) in Albanian, we approach a two-story house, whose courtyard served as a garden(53) and where a number of people were drinking coffee as well.
44. orientues/e navigational
45. detyr/ohem, u -ova, i,e -uar to owe, be obliged or compelled to
46. marr, mora, -ë udhën +gen. to get [somewhere]
47. … në fjalë said …, lit. ‘in word’
48. rrëzë +abl. at the foot of ¶ rrëz/ë, -a, -a(t) foot/feet (metaphorical)
49. , zura, zënë fill to originate, begin, come from, start out as, lit. ‘to tie thread’
50. grumbu/ll, -lli, -j(t) group, crowd, heap, pile, stack, collection
51. rrap, -i sycamore
52. llafos, -a, -ur to chat, gossip
53. lulisht/e, -ja garden, park


Të mbetur në udhëkryq(54) mes dy rrugëve, për të shkuar në Pargë pyesim një gruaje të re, pranë së cilës qëndronte një djalë i vogël që nuk duhet t’i kish mbushur ende të dhjetë vjetët. Për çudi(55), pyetjes sonë i përgjigjet në një shqipe të pastër i vogli. Kjo me të vërtet qe tepër befasuese, pasi çamët ortodoksë në Çamëri nuk e gëzojnë të drejtën e arsimimit në gjuhën amtare. Lëre më pastaj(56) të kenë të drejtën e shtypit apo të mediave po në gjuhën e mëmës.
Having stopped at the intersection of two streets, we ask a young lady how to get to Parga, [she] near whom stood a young boy who mustn’t have turned 10 yet. To our surprise(55), the young boy answers our question in an impeccable Albanian. This was honestly quite surprising, since the Orthodox Cham in Chameria don’t enjoy the right to an education in their native language. Let alone(56) have the right to press or media in their mother tongue.
54. udhëkryq, -i, -e intersection, lit. ‘road-cross’
55. për çudi adv. interestingly, to one’s surprise or amazement
56. lëre më pastaj let alone, never mind


Një marrëzi(57) e tillë me siguri do të bënte që grushti(58) i egër(59) i shtetit diktatorial nacionalist grek, të binte mbi ta pa mëshirë me forcën e një çekiçi(60) pneumatik. Ndërkohë që në Shqipërinë tonë, prej vitesh egziston [sic] katedra(61) e gjuhës greke, egziston [sic] gazeta e minoritit, e po kështu edhe radio.
Such a backwards situation(57) surely meant that the ferocious(59) dictatorial nationalist Greek coup d’état(58) had mercilessly fallen upon them with the force of a pneumatic hammer(60). Meanwhile, a Greek-language committee(61) and minority newspaper, as well as radio, have existed in our Albania for years.
57. marrëzi, -a insanity, lunacy, folly, foolishness
58. grusht, -i, -a(t) fist, punch ¶ […] shteti coup d’état
59. i,e egër wild, ferocious
60. çekiç, -i, -ë hammer (an obvious Turkish loan)
61. kated/ër, -ra, -ra(t) pulpit, committee, department (academia)


Veç odiseja jonë në Çamëri nuk do mbaronte as pranë Sulit (që realisht i dha Pavarësinë Greqisë), dhe as kur morëm rrugën për në Pargë. Para se të arrinim në Morfat, fshat ky në të hyrë të(62) përpjetës së Pargës, do të hasnim(63) një tjetër befasi emocionuese. Tek një verandë që ngrihej si ballkon përmbi udhë, shohim një djalë tek të tridhjetat dhe një plakë e veshur në të zeza, e cila më solli pranë(64) imazhin e plakave tona të jugut. Frenoj makinën dhe e pyes të riun në shqip se sa larg mbante që këtu Parga.
Yet our odyssey in Chameria would end neither near Suli (which in reality gave up its Independence to Greece :?: ) nor when we took the road to Parga. Before we arrived to Morfat, a (=this) village at the entrance to(62) the climb to Parga, we would come upon(63) another exciting surprise. On a veranda that was raised like a balcony over the road, we see a young man around 30 and an old lady dressed in black, who brought to mind(64) the image of our old women of the south. I brake the car and I ask the young man in Albanian how far Parga was from here.
62. në të hyrë të +gen. at the entrance to
63. has, -a, -ur to face, experience, come/happen upon
64. sjell, solla, -ë pranë to bring to mind, remind smbd. of, lit. ‘to bring near’


Ai më përgjigjet aq(65) saktë e lirshëm po në shqip, saqë(65) dyshova se mos ishte shqiptar i Shqipërisë dhe punonte si emigrant atje. E pyes gjënë duke i kërkuar të më thoshte se çfarë ishte shqiptar apo grek. Më përgjigjet se është grek.
He answers me so(65) clearly and fluently in Albanian, that(65) I wondered whether he could’ve been an Albanian from Albania working as an emigrant there. I ask him something, trying to get him to tell me whether he was Albanian or Greek. He tells me that he’s Greek.
65. aq …, saqë so … (adj./adv.), that … (+v.)

— Po si ke mundur ta mësosh kaq mirë shqipen? — e cys(66) më tej.
“How were you able to learn Albanian so well?”, I further prompt(66) him.
66. cys, -a, -ur to incite, push, prompt, encourage, egg on

— Po ne të gjithë shqip flasim këtu, — përgjigjet ai.
“Well, we all speak Albanian here,” he replies.

Buzëqesha lehtë (67) thëniet e tij dhe bëhem gati të ngas makinës. Kur ngrihet nga vendi e moshuara e duke na folur po në shqip thotë…
I lightly smiled at(67) what he said and get ready to start up the car. When the elderly lady stands up, speaking to us in Albanian she says…
67. [buzëqesh, etj.] [to smile, etc.] at
(NB: This is a use of the prep. ‘in, on’, rare enough as it is, which I’ve never come upon before. Until now, I’ve only seen it used with dates and a few nouns, e.g. më këmbë ‘on foot’ or gojë më gojë ‘drop by drop’.)


— Po ejani more bir, ejani të pini një kafe! Keni bërë udhë të gjatë e me siguri jeni të lodhur!
— C’mon, my dear, come in and have a coffee! You’ve traveled far and surely must be tired!

Do e kisha pranuar me kënaqësi ftesën, për më tepër që ishim të lodhur. Por duke qënë për herë të parë në Çamëri nuk dinim se ç’udhë na priste më tej. Megjithatë, për të mos e prekur të moshuarën zbres nga makina dhe ngjitem nëpër shkallët e verandës së lartë. E falënderova duke e përqafuar(68) sikur të qe nëna ime. Çasti i ndarjes me të nuk do më harrohet kurrë. Sikur të kishte frikë prej të riut që ishte deklaruar grek, e moshuara më thotë me zë të ulët:
I would’ve accepted the invitation with pleasure, especially because we were tired. But being in Chameria for the first time, we didn’t know what road awaited us farther off. However, to not offend the elderly lady I get out of the car and walk up the stairs to the front porch. I thanked her, hugging(68) her as if she were my own mother. I will never forget the moment that I parted with her. As if she were scared because of the young man’s declaring himself Greek, the elderly lady whispers to me (‘says to me in a low voice’):
68. përqaf/oj, -ova, -uar to hug, embrace

— Por edhe ne si ju shqiptarë jemi more bir. Po kohërat, kohërat i nakatosën(69) keq punërat(70) tona…
— We’re Albanians just like you, my dear. But the times, the times haven’t boded well(69) for our affairs(70).
69. nakatos, -a, -ur dialectal, from Greek ανακατεύω to mess up, implicate, muddle, mix up (Standard Albanian: përziej)
70. punërat non-standard alt. plural of pun/ë, -a, -ë(t) meaning “affairs, deeds, livelihoods”


Shtanga në vend(71). Vetullat(72) m’u bënë një. Deri në atë moment, gjatë vizitës sonë në Çamëri, paçka se(73) kishim llafosur në shqip me dhjetëra të panjohur, askush prej tyre nuk kishte pranuar haptas(74) se ishte shqiptar! Ç’t’i thosha më tej të moshuarës e çfarë të na thoshte ajo ne?! I dhashë gaz makinës që një me shpirtin tonë zu të rënkonte fort në atë të përpjetë. Në çast m’u kujtuan disa thënie të historianëve grekë që ulin e ngrenë pa pushim idenë se në Çamërinë e sotme gjuha shqipe nuk ekziston, se popullsia e saj e vjetër është e padukshme, e pandjeshme.
I was taken aback(71). My eyebrows(72) became one. Up until that moment during our visit to Chameria, despite that(73) we had chatted in Albanian with dozens of strangers, none of them had openly(74) admitted to being Albanian! What else was I to tell the old lady and what was she to tell us?! I had barely taken off off, when [hard to translate; will revisit this line later]. At that moment I remembered the claims of some Greek historians who insist (‘lower and raise’) to no end the idea that the Albanian language doesn’t exist in today’s Chameria, that her old population is invisible(74), irrelevant(75).
71. „Shtanga në vend!“ “I was stunned!”
72. vetull/ë, -a, -a(t) eyebrow(s)
73. paçka se conj. even though, although
74. haptas openly
75. i paduksh/ëm, e -me invisible
76. i pandjesh/ëm, e -me unremarkable, insensitive


Veç realiteti ynë i prekshëm i hedh poshtë, i tjetërson këto thënie thjesht në formula propagandistike. Realiteti i sotëm i Çamërisë vërteton bindshëm(79) se atje gjuha shqipe, gjuha e perëndive si thoshte Arestidh Kola i madh, nuk vdes kurrë. Të padukshme, të pandjeshme popullsinë si dhe gjuhën e saj mijëravjeçare e bën politika asimiluese e shtetit grek. Ndërkohë që shteti shqiptar, si edhe këtyre ditëve të fundit nuk ngre zë, hesht si gjithmonë, nuk proteston deri në instancat më të larta(80) europiane për këtë realitet të dhimbshëm e të mohuar.
Yet our vulnerable(77) reality rejects, simply [turns these words into](78) propagandistic formulae. The modern reality of Chameria convincingly(79) proves that the Albanian language, the language of the gods, as the great Aristidh Kola would say, never dies there. It’s the Greek state’s assimilationist ideology which makes (well, purports to make) her population as well as her millennia-old language invisible and unremarkable. Meanwhile the Albanian state, just as it doesn’t speak up even in recent days, it stays silent as always, it doesn’t protest even at the European high courts of justice(80) about this painful, denied reality.
77. i preksh/ëm, e -me tangible, vulnerable
78. tjetërs/oj, -ova, -uar to alter, alienate
79. bindshëm adv. convincingly
80. „në instancat më të larta“ in high places (political)


Në Pargë, në këtë qytet të bukur, në këtë perlë të Çamërisë, që lartohet(81) si ballkon përmbi Jon nuk qëndruam gjatë. Thjesht shuajtëm(82) ca urinë(82¶) dhe pimë një kafe helm(83). Megjithëse dita qe zgjatur, si një re gri dhe i trishtë po lëshohej(84) muzgu(85). Nuk donim të vonoheshim. Nuk kishim ndër mend të flinim në Pargë. Do ktheheshim në Sarandë. U gjendëm në makinën e parkuar aty pranë. Tashmë s’kishim nevojë për të pyetur, për guide. Ndiheshim zemërthyer(86).
In Parga, in this beautiful city, in this pearl of Chameria which juts out(81) like a balcony over the Ionian, we didn't stay long. All we did was satisfy(82) a little hunger(82¶) and drink a dark coffee(83). Although the day lasted long, the twilight(85) began to creep up over the horizon(84) like a sad, gray cloud. We didn’t want to be late. We weren’t thinking of sleeping in Parga. We’d return to Saranda. We found ourselves in the car parked nearby. We didn’t need to ask around for directions anymore. We felt heartbroken(86.)
81. lart/ohem, u -ova, i,e -uar to be exalted, jut out
82. shuaj, -ta, -tur to quell, quench, extinguish, turn off ¶ […] urinë to kill or satisfy hunger
83. „një kafe helm“ a dark coffee, lit. ‘a coffee of poison’
84. lësh/ohem, u -ova, i,e -uar to be released, issued or launched
85. muzg, -u, -ë dusk, dawn, twilight, nightfall
86. zemërthyer heartbroken


Nuk di pse dritat apo neonet anës udhës më sollën ndër mend plumbat që rrëfenin(87) udhët e përgjakura në poezinë e famshme të Bilal Xhaferit “Lamtumirë Çamëri”. Në kthim(88), si për të mbushur zbrazëtin(89⁋) që na kishte përfshirë, por edhe me besimin e plotë se një ditë patjetër do kthehemi në vatrat(90) tona amtare, vura një kasetë me këngë të Çamërisë. Tumankuqja dhe kënga e Osman Takës sikur na i lehtësuan ca shpirtin.
I don’t quite know why the street lamps and the fluorescent lamps alongside the road brought to mind the bullets that related the tale(87) of the blood-soiled trails in Bilal Jafar’s famed poem “Goodbye Chameria”. On our way home(88), as if to fill the void(89⁋) that had surrounded us, but also with the certain belief that we would surely return to our ancestral hearth(90) one day, I put in a cassette of songs from Chameria. Tumankuqe and the Song of Osman Taka just about cheered us up a bit.
87. rrëf/ej, -eva, -yer to confess, come clean, get smth. off one’s chest; to tell, recount or relate [a story]
88. në kthim adv. on the way back
89. i,e zbrazët empty ⁋ zbrazët, -i emptiness, void
90. vat/ër, -ra, -ra(t) fireplace, hearth, focus, center, (in this context) land of one’s birth


Tabelën e Margëlliçit mezi(91) e shqujtëm(92) [sic] në errësirë. Megjithëse e shkruajtur edhe me gërma(93⁋) greke edhe me gërma latine, emërtimi shqip i këtij qyteti qe tjetërsuar. Margëlliçin, kërthizën(94) e Çamërisë grekët e kanë pagëzuar me emrin Margariti. Po nxitonim drejt veriut. Prevezën s’e pamë, nuk shkuam dot(95). Megjithëse një ditë më pas, në një emision televiziv të bërë prej gazetarit të mirënjohur Marin Mema, e njohëm, e pamë përmbi tridhjetë minuta. Edhe atje, dielli, ngrohtësia e shqipes nuk mund të shuhej kurrë. Në Prevezë, në qendrën më të madhe të Çamërisë kudo flitej shqip.
We barely(91) made out(92) the sign to Margëlliç in the darkness. Despite being written both in Greek script and in Latin script, this city’s Albanian official name (lit. ‘nomenclature, designation’) was altered. The Greeks have baptized Margëlliç, the heart(94) of Chamëria with the name Margariti. We made haste towards the north. We didn’t see Preveza, we didn’t even(95) [get to] go there. Even though a day later, on a TV program made by the well-known journalist Marin Mema, we recognized him, we watched [his show] for around 30 minutes. :?: Even there, the sun and warmth of Albanian could never be extinguished. In Preveza, (in) the biggest [urban] center of Chamëria, Albanian was spoken everywhere.
91. mezi adv. nearly, barely
92. shquaj, -ta, -tur to distinguish, make smth. out
93. germ/ë, -a, -a(t) letter (of the alphabet) ⁋ me germa … in … script, lit. ‘with … letters’
94. kërthiz/ë, -a (anatomy) navel, bellybutton; center, midpoint, (metaphorical) heart
95. dot adv. No exact equivalent in English. Used in conjunction with either one of the two negative adverbs nuk and s’ (which are interchangeable) to reinforce its negation. Comparable to the French ne … pas.


Shkonim drejt Gumenicës. Në të djathtë lamë Mazrekun. Përpara priste Pllatoreja e bukur dhe deti poshtë saj. Por, për dreq(96), kodrave(97) të saj nuk mundëm të shquanim as shtëpitë gërmadha të çamëve mysliman të përzënë(98) me dhunë(99⁋) e gjenocid prej Zervës e as detin e thinjur(100). Terri(101) kishte mbuluar(102) gjithçka. Sikur të fshihte plagët e shumta, Çamëria qe zhytur(103) në errësirë. Shpirti i saj ofshamë(104) ndihej jo vetëm tek përplasja(105) e valëve të detit për gjatë bregut, por edhe tek këngët që dëgjoheshin brenda makinës sonë.
We were going towards Gumenica. On the right we passed Mazrek. Up ahead awaited beautiful Pllatorè and the lake below it. But, God be damned(96), we couldn’t distinguish from the hills(97) neither the ruins of the houses of Muslim Chams expelled(98) with violent force(99) and genocide by Zervas nor the grizzly(100) lake. The darkness(101) had cloaked(102) everything. As if to hide its many wounds, Chamëria had plunged itself(103) into darkness. Its moaning(104) spirit could be heard not only in the crashing(105) of the waves of the sea along the shoreline, but also in the songs that were being listened to inside of our car.
96. për dreq vulg. shit, fuck, fucking (intensifier), goddamnit, goddamn(ed) (intensifier), etc.
97. kod/ër, -ra, -ra(t) hill, knoll, mound
98. i,e përzënë expelled, exiled, driven out
99. dhun/ë, -a [violent] force, violence ⁋ me dhunë violent (adj.), with violence or with violent force
100. i,e thinjur gray (poetic), grizzly
101. terr, -i darkness, the dark
102. mbul/oj, -ova, -uar to cover, hide, conceal, cloak
103. zhyt, -a, -ur to sink, submerge, immerse, plunge
104. ofsham/ë, -a, -a(t) moan, moaning
105. përplasj/e, -a, -e(t) crash, collision, violent impact, confrontation
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
Yasna
Posts:2672
Joined:2011-09-12, 1:17
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Yasna » 2018-03-12, 23:13

Michael wrote:I haven’t gone further in the textbook, having only worked on on the first third of Lesson 16. In spite of that, I’ve been quite occupied with Albanian recently, and I feel like my [Albanian] skills increase with the passing of each day. I joined a Facebook group called “The Albanian language without mistakes” yesterday, and after the [group] administrator approved me, I wrote up quite a lengthy post, starting out by giving my thanks and greeting all the members [of the group], in which I wrote a few words about myself, described in detail how I’ve been learning the language as well as the reasons for which I decided to embark on the journey of learning the Albanian language, and I included some other details. My, oh my! the responses that began to pour in were overwhelming, and the reaction was quite warm, if not one of astonishment! I still haven’t responded to everyone who commented, that many people have written! I’m in for a fun ride!
:partyhat:

What is your motivation for learning Albanian?
Ein Buch muß die Axt sein für das gefrorene Meer in uns. - Kafka

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian, Old English, *Mandarin)

Postby Michael » 2018-03-13, 23:08

Yasna wrote:What is your motivation for learning Albanian?

My primary motivation is simply an interest in—nay, an utter infatuation with—Albanian language and culture, while my secondary motivation is to hold conversations with local Albanians every so often. But without [what is now] that secondary motivation of mine, I wouldn’t have been able to give myself the go-ahead to start learning it, so for that I’m immensely grateful, because otherwise I wouldn’t have known just how awesome and grammatically-satisfying the language has proven to be. Plus, Albanians are the friendliest and most down-to-earth people I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian [+Gheg], Old English)

Postby vijayjohn » 2018-03-14, 0:03

I thought your motivation was all the Albanian barbers you knew. Or at least part of the motivation. :P

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian [+Gheg], Old English)

Postby Michael » 2018-03-14, 1:32

vijayjohn wrote:I thought your motivation was all the Albanian barbers you knew. Or at least part of the motivation. :P

That's what I said:
Michael wrote:[…] while my secondary motivation is to hold conversations with local Albanians every so often. But without [what is now] that secondary motivation of mine […]

My secondary motivation used to be my primary one.
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.

User avatar
Michael
Posts:7126
Joined:2009-07-21, 3:07
Real Name:Mike
Gender:male
Location:Oak Park, IL
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: TAC 2018 - Mike (Albanian [+Gheg], Old English)

Postby Michael » 2018-03-15, 6:24

(sq)
FJALË TË REJA, e enjte 15 mars
NEW WORDS, Thurs 15 March

gjoks, -i chest, breast, thorax
vendosmëri, -a resolve, decisiveness, firm commitment
xhup, -i jacket, coat, sweatshirt, hoodie, etc.
zhvendos, -a, -ur to take smth. off
kësi this sort of [stuff], […] and such ___ (proximal demonstrative prefix kë- + si ‘as, like’)
shkëlq/ej, -eva, -yer to shine, glow, gleam, glisten; to excel

përcaktor, -i predicate, ‘determinant’
kundrin/ë, -a object (grammar)
i,e zhdrejtë indirect
gjymtyr/ë, -a, -a(t) limb, extremity
bërtham/ë, -a, -a(t) core, nucleus, seed, pit, kernel

Including the 105 words from the last article I read, the 10 new words up above, and the 56 words already on my dedicated Anki deck Fjalor shqip përtej tekstit (Albanian vocabulary beyond the textbook), that brings the total number of new words I've learnt thus far to 172!
:partyhat:
American English (en-us) Neapolitan from Molise (nap) N Italian (it) B2 Spanish (es) Portuguese (pt) French (fr) Greek (el) Albanian (sq) B1 Polish (pl) Romanian (ro) A2 Azerbaijani (az) Turkish (tr) Old English (en_old) A1
„Çdo njeri është peng i veprave të veta.‟
Every human being is hostage to their own deeds.


Return to “Language Logs and Blogs”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests