Origin Theories
The origin of the ethnic name Shqiptar:
- Gustav Meyer derived Shqiptar from the Albanian verbs shqipoj (to speak clearly) and shqiptoj (to speak out, pronounce), which are in turn derived from the Latin verb excipere, denoting brethren who speak the Albanian language, similar to the ethno-linguistic dichotomies Sloven-Nemac and Deutsch-Wälsch. This is the theory also sustained by Robert Elsie.
- A theory by Ludwig Thallóczy, Milan Šufflay and Konstantin Jireček, which is today considered obsolete, derived the name from a Drivastine family name recorded in varying forms during the 14th century: Schepuder (1368), Scapuder (1370), Schipudar, Schibudar (1372), Schipudar (1383, 1392), Schapudar (1402), etc.
- Maximilian Lambertz derived the word from the Albanian noun shqipe,or shqiponjë (eagle), which, according to Albanian folk etymology, denoted a bird totem dating from the times of Skanderbeg, as displayed on the Albanian flag.
- Petar Skok suggested that the name originated from Scupi (Albanian: Shkupi), the capital of the Scipio Roman province of Dardania (today's Skopje).
- A Slovenian theory states, that shqiptar (pronounced ship-tahr, "šiptar" in Slovenian) originates from the english word "shipping" (transporting, inporting), likely because of people and merchandise migration in and out of Albania.
- Vladimir Orel suggested that:
Alb. Shqipe, Shqiptar etc. also reflects a late, post-classical form sclavus, a variant *skljab being reconstructable for Albanian. Orel (1998: 434) assumes that shqipe would be a calque after the Slavic parallel slověne ‘Slavs’ as derived from slovo ‘word’, in Albanian shqipoj ‘to speak clearly = to speak in our language’ – Shqipe, Shqiptar.
- Sorin Paliga says that the ethnonym shqipe ‘Albanian’, shqip (adj.), proves that there is a link between the Sclaveni of the 5th century and modern Albanians. See a more
detailed discussion in Paliga and Teodor 2009: p. 80-84.
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