by Saqet Vejseli. Translation Petrit Latifi

The inscription on the so-called Evil Eye mosaic has traditionally been read as the Greek ΚΑΙ C/ΣΥ (kai sy), meaning “and you (also).” However, this interpretation raises contextual difficulties, as the phrase “and you” does not clearly correspond to the imagery or function of the mosaic.

An alternative reading can be proposed through Albanian, especially in a Gege-based framework. The inscription can be segmented as:

KA I CY (Gege Albanian)

which corresponds to modern standard Albanian KA I CY (“has an eye”).
In this interpretation:

KA = “has / has”
I = “one”
CY = “eye”

The mosaic itself visually reinforces this reading. It depicts a single eye subjected to a violent attack: the eye is pierced by a trident and a sword, pecked by a raven, bitten by a dog, and attacked by a scorpion, a cat, and a snake. A horned dwarf with an exaggerated phallus crosses two sticks, a motif commonly associated in antiquity with apotropaic (protective) magic.

The overall scene clearly represents an aggressive neutralization of the evil eye, a belief widespread in the ancient Mediterranean world.
Within this visual context, the phrase “has an eye” directly corresponds to the symbolic focus of the mosaic. In contrast, the conventional Greek reading “and you” seems semantically disconnected from the image and ritual purpose of the scene.

From a linguistic perspective, it is noteworthy that Albanian preserves semi-passive verbal constructions and existential expressions (such as ka) that closely match the proposed reading, suggesting a continuum of expressive patterns that may illuminate alternative interpretations of ancient inscriptions.

The mosaic in question is a Roman mosaic from Antioch, commonly known as the House of the Evil Eye, currently housed in the Hatay Archaeological Museum, Antakya, Turkey (inventory no. 1024).