Authored by Ismet Azizi. Translated by Petrit Latifi
“Today’s Albanians are remnants of the Illyrians who lived in these areas. They were formed in the past in the southern part of Albania, and then gradually spread to other areas… in the 8th and 9th centuries, and based on the few documents that were preserved, their language originates from Illyrian”
– Valentin Vasilevič Sjedov
In order to preserve the heritage of toponymy, at least in part, this issue must be noted and carefully researched from different scientific perspectives. Various sciences are involved in the research of toponyms, especially linguistics, but also geography, cartography, history, archeology, etc. The methodology of scientific research on toponyms is best elaborated by toponymy, a branch of linguistics, within onomastics, a scientific discipline that deals with names.
Toponymy researchers provide basic knowledge about the development of toponyms, their linguistic forms, changes, and in general, their function in language. These works are inevitable, regardless of the perspective from which this issue is examined. However, when examining geographical names in a spatial context, especially when determining their connections with spatial functions, geographical research is of particular importance.
Geographers, together with linguists, are inevitable during the standardization of geographical names in various publications and geographical-cartographic publications (e.g. Atlases) as well as in all other texts that use geographical names. This is a possible way of affirming geographers and geography in our society. Geographers must reposition themselves in dealing with these issues, which, unfortunately, are increasingly often interfered with by researchers from other disciplines.
This does not mean that geographers should have exclusivity, but cooperation with other scientific disciplines is necessary in the permanent interdisciplinary work on the standardization of the geographical names of Albanian lands.
The Sandžak represents a specific socio-economic and territorial-administrative region. In military terms, the name “sandžak” means flag, which implies the inclusion of the army under a specific flag. The name sandžak is of Turkish origin (sanjak) and initially represented the flag, which later took on the meaning of the region that the sultans gave under administration to their soldiers, who then divided the administration into smaller regions, taking on the meaning of today’s Sandžak. The territory of Illyria during the administration of the Ottoman Empire was divided into several vilayets. The Sandzhak of Jeni Pazar belonged to the vilayet of Kosovo.
When the Sandzhak was first populated and by whom, is not known. However, it is known for certain that it was populated in the Neolithic period. There is ample evidence of this, which is preserved in various museums. Fragments of Illyrian-Roman culture prove that in the Illyrian and Roman eras this region was populated by the Illyrians, namely by the Dardan tribe.
Pruzhanj of Peshter
That the Sandzhak throughout history was inhabited by the Illyrians, then by the Albanians, is evidenced by the finds in the village of Pruzhanj (Prush,-i, -it.) on the Peshter Plateau, where archaeologists have discovered the embers (ashes) of the bodies of the burned dead. These finds date back thousands of years before Christ and certainly belong to the Illyrians. This fact proves the autochthonous and Illyrian origin of this population
Regarding the existence of Serbian Stari Ras, which Serbian science claims was the seat and cradle of the Serbian state, in fact this place is Arsa, the old Illyrian capital and has no connection with what the Serbs claim.
Before the arrival of the Slavs, these areas were populated by Illyrians. Numerous archaeological researches speak of this fact: In Pazar i Ri, on the current site of the “Rashka” Textile Combine, then the remains of gold and amber found many years ago in the Church of Petrova. The latter gives us knowledge about the possibility of the existence of a connection of Illyrian tribes, whose seat was on the site of the mentioned church.
Based on the time factor, the history of the Balkans and its indigenous peoples: the Dardanians, Greeks, Illyrians, Thracians and other smaller ethnic groups from the time before the invasion of the Slavs in this area, cannot be the subject of Slavic studies. Some time ago, the well-known Albanologist Idriz Ajeti, in a symposium held in Belgrade, stated that it is not the job of Slavic studies (philological knowledge about the Slavs and the branches of the Slavic languages) to draw conclusions about the territories in which the Indo-European languages of those peoples lived and were individualized before the Slavs came to this area.[1]
Regarding the situation found by the Slavs and and the consequences that their arrival in the Balkan Peninsula brought were also written by the distinguished Serbian scholar I. Popov.[2]
The Slavs, according to this researcher, undoubtedly came to the Balkans in the 6th century and since then have become the permanent population of the Balkans.
The forced spread of the Serbs, namely the occupation of the Albanian ethnolinguistic space of ancient Dardania in the 12th century by the Serbs, is also supported by Serbian historians of linguistics. Thus, the Serbian dialectologist A. Beli stated that the development of the dialects of the Serbian language is inseparable from the process of Serbian colonization of Upper Albania.
Immediately after the occupation of Sandzak and Kosovo, namely Upper Albania, which took place in 1912, he wrote that “The direction of Serbian colonization can be generally characterized according to the centers and headquarters of the Serbian rulers both before and after the Battle of Kosovo. These centers and headquarters were spread in the 13th century. XIII in Ras i (Pre-Slavic Arsa, Serbian: Raška – near Novi Pazar).
From here it then penetrated in the 14th century, during the reign of Dušan, towards Prizren and Skopje. In support of all this, it can be said that the language of the old Serbian state was centered in Raška”[3]. When a series of scientific lectures was held at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1986 in which the Illyrian origin of the Albanians was disputed, the prominent Serbian archaeologist Milutin Garašanin, in his lecture “Creation and Origin of the Illyrians”, categorically emphasized that the Paleo-Balkan origin of “the Albanians cannot be doubted”.
Valentin Vasilevič Sedov, a Russian archaeologist, asked by a journalist from the Belgrade newspaper “Blic” on 2. 11. 2000, “Who are the Albanians, where did they come from and how long have they been here?”, he replied: “Today’s Albanians are the remnants of the Illyrians who lived in these areas. They were formed in the past in the southern part of Albania, and then gradually spread to other areas… in the 8th and 9th centuries, while based on the few documents that have been preserved, their language has its origin in Illyrian”…
Based on the state of the hydronymy of the Kolubara river system (the original Illyrian meaning of the name of the Kolubara river, according to I. Duridanov, is “black, dark river”) and other rivers south of the Sava and Danube, the Bulgarian scholar Ivan Duridanov draws three conclusions regarding the Illyrian population of this area.[4]
New Pazar, Jenji Pazar, Novi Pazar, Tregu i Ri, Pazar, Pazari, Tregu, Trgovi, Trgovište, is the most important settlement of the Sandzak. It has its roots in Arsa, the Illyrian city. Trade developed in this city and this locality has been named in many languages such as; Bazar (Persian I. A.), Pazari, Tregu, Trgovi, Trgovište. The foundations of today’s city were laid by Isa Beg Isaku.
After conquering these lands, he founded the city and called it Yeni Pazar. The Albanians called it Pazari i Ri and Tregu i Ri, while the Serbs called it Novi Pazar. This city, since its foundation, was known for trade and has continued to be a city of trade to this day. In addition to these data, the well-known author Mushovic in the monograph Novi Pazar i Okolina, writes:
“The Ibër River – Serbian: Ibar from i Bard, in Albanian: i bardhë, Lumi i Bardhë; The Lim River – from Albanian: Lum-i; River and Lake Vapa– from Albanian: Vapë, vapa-ë; in Serbian: morina; Peshter-Pesh- weight; ter- terr (dryness), ter – dryness, etc.[5]
The presence of Albanians in Sandzak is no longer in question, because much evidence has been found that from here they expanded into Dalmatia, Herzegovina and Bosnia, which is also evidenced by many names of settlements there: Bare (from “Bari”), Burmazi (big man), Buna (abundant/flood of waters), Bukamire (good bread), Butmir (good land), Curi (rock), Dretel (“dredhel” bell-shaped plant), Kukusi, Muraj, Vuçaj, Gurjevaçë, Otimir, Skoçaj, Vajmezi, Kokona, Korça (toponyms with the same name in Albania, Ibali, Ligati, Gjeç, Tuçep, Tulë, Zavalë Gurjevaç etc….
The presence of Albanians in these regions is also evidenced by the surnames preserved today: Barzeta, Burmaz, Dodosh, Dukaxhić, Gurakuq, Ibal, Kalimanović, Keça, Keçanović, Kokeza, Lekić, Mushkinja, Erëda, Preka etc. In South Herzegovina, in Lubomir, a very well-known brotherhood was called Zotovic from the Albanian word “god” (lord).[6]
Regarding the toponyms in Peshter and to better illustrate it, we are referring to the monograph Konicanët by the author Sh. Numanovic.[7]
According to the author Numanovic, the founder of the settlement of Konicë is considered to be Kona, a widow who settled in this settlement with her sons. After her, it is then said that the Koliqs who came from northern Albania settled here. Very soon they were joined by the Nikiqët (Nikqët), their cousins from Shala, who were unexpectedly welcomed by the brave man of the family, Avdi Kola. Very soon the Nikiqët (Nikajt) expanded and populated the villages of Plenibabë, Zhirqe, Rugja and Smaluçe.
The current inhabitants of Konica do not speak Albanian, but the toponyms indicate that their ancestors used it. language from which they came. It is known that the Shaljan used toponyms in their own language, but their descendants, forgetting their own language, have distorted them so much that today they can hardly be identified, writes Numanović. Further, the author in question writes: “The following toponyms speak best of this:
Ostrijelo- Ostri vrh
Darda (dardha) – krusska
Kronpele( kroni i peles) – Kobilin izvor.
Hasinikinkron (Kroni i Hasa Nikës) – Hasan Ikin izvor.
Livadhajdukin(t) (Livadhi i hajdukit) – hajduška livada,
Gura( gurra I. A.)- Kamenjča (izvor iz kamenja)
Guršta (Gurishtë)- Kamenjar (kamenica)
Ljug (Lug-u)–Dolina ( do).
Kruja( krye)- Glava.
Krštujit (krshi i ujit)- Vodeni krš.
Livadmas (Livadhi i madh) – velika livada
Lazdemin (Lazi i Demes) – Demin laz
Vrhalili (vorii i Halilit) – halilov grob.
Špata (sword) – Sablja (scythe).
Rapš (Plateau) – Ravan
Gurbut (Guri i but) – Meki kamen.
Lazbrahimit (Lazi i Brahimit) – Ibrahimov Laz.
Kodrkolips (Kolibës Hill) – Kolibin laz.
Kršpolin – (Krshi i puës) Kokosji krš.
Lazmiluni (Lazi i Mullinit) Vodeni Laz.
Lazbukur (Lazi i i bukur) – Ljepi Laz.
Ljukmandup (Lugu i Majjupit) – Ciganski do.
Kodrbunarit (well’s hill) – Bunarsko brdo
Aštujć (Ash of Wolves) – Vučja kost
Dušk – HrastKron – Izvor.
References
[1] Dr. Skender Gashi, http://www.shkoder.net/fjala/2006/sgashi.htm
[2] I. Popov: Bemerkungen über die vorslavischen Ortsnamen in Serbia, in Zeitschrift für slavische Philologie Bd. XXVIII, Heidelberg 1960
[3] Dr. Skender Gashi, same place.
[4] I. Duridanov, Illyrische Flussnamen in Serbia, in Linguistique Balkanique VI/ 1963, Sofia, 163, pg. 102 117
[5] Group of authors, Monograph, Novi Pazar and the surrounding area, Belgrade, 197
[6] Petrit Imami, Serbs and Albanians through the centuries (2016) volume I, SAMIZDAT B92, Belgrade, p. 34
[7] Numanović Š. (2004), Koničani, Publisher: Šefkija Numanović, Tutin.
Source
Balkan Academia 