by Marios Dimopoulos.
A publication issued in Athens in 1882, entitled Albanian Primer (Alvanikon Alphavitarion), has been cited in discussions concerning the linguistic and cultural history of the Arvanites in nineteenth-century Greece. The work bears the subtitle:
“According to the Albanian dialect spoken in Greece, revised and corrected as an aid for parents and a handbook for Albanian children.“
The book was reportedly printed by a publishing house operating under the name “The Voice of Albania” in Athens. Its existence has been seen by some scholars and commentators as evidence that Albanian-speaking populations within the Kingdom of Greece constituted a significant audience for educational materials in their native language.
According to this, the reference to “Albanian children” in the title reflects the presence of Albanian-speaking Arvanite communities, whose vernacular language remained widely used during the nineteenth century. Contemporary accounts have described Albanian as being spoken across substantial parts of Greece during this period, and some historical observers characterized Athens as having a predominantly Albanian-speaking population in earlier decades.
Supporters of this also cite the work of the Arvanite philologist Panagiotis Koupitoris (Panagiotis Koupitoris) of Hydra. In his Albanian Studies (Alvanikai Meletai), published in 1879, he wrote:
“The Orthodox Albanians joined the Greeks in their common struggle for independence. And in at least one-third of the Greek Kingdom, the Albanians outnumber the Greeks.”
The populations of Albanian origin represented a substantial demographic component of the newly established Greek state, particularly in regions where Albanian was widely spoken. Some commentators further infer that educational publications such as the Albanian Primer were intended to serve these communities by providing instruction in their native language.
The significance of Koupitoris’ work has also been noted by the Greek philologist Sarantos Kargakos, who reportedly recommended it as a valuable source for understanding the historical relationship between Greeks and Albanians.
Within this perspective, the Arvanites are presented as a community that simultaneously maintained an awareness of their Albanian linguistic and ancestral heritage while identifying politically and nationally as Greeks.
Sources
- Αλβανικόν αλφαβητάριον κατά το εν Ελλάδι ομιλούμενον αλβανικόν ιδίωμα: Εκκαθαρισθέν και επιδιορθωθέν βοήθημα των γονέων και εγχειρίδιον των αλβανικών τέκνων. Athens: Ek tou Typografeiou “Hē Phōnē tēs Albanias,” 1882. Accessed via the Anemi Digital Library.
2. Koupitoris, Panagiotis D. Αλβανικαί Μελέται: Πραγματεία ιστορική και φιλολογική περί της γλώσσης και του έθνους των Αλβανών. Athens: Ek tou Typografeiou tou Mellontos, 1879.
3. Clayer, Nathalie. Aux origines du nationalisme albanais: La naissance d’une nation majoritairement musulmane en Europe. Paris: Karthala, 2007.
4. Sasse, Hans-Jürgen. Arvanitika: Die albanischen Sprachreste in Griechenland. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1991.
5. Skendi, Stavro. The Albanian National Awakening, 1878–1912. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967.
