The “Albanian Spelling Congress”, a nationwide scientific gathering, was held in Tirana. It was called to draw the conclusions of the extensive discussion on spelling, which had begun in 1967, after the publication of the “Rregulla të drejtshkrimit të shqipes” (“Albanian spelling rules”) (project), to determine the principles and basic lines of drafting the spelling in its final form, as well as to decide on a number of other issues, general and special, of spelling and of the national literary language as a whole. The congress was attended by 87 delegates from all provinces of Albania, from Kosovo, from Albanians living in their lands in North Macedonia and Montenegro and from Arbëresh in Italy. Among them there were researchers and pedagogues of the Albanian language, teachers, writers, publicists, publishers, veterans of education and culture and others. At the congress, a central report was held on the topic “Albanian literary language and some basic problems of its spelling” (Androkli Kostallari) and over 150 papers and scientific references (all the materials of the congress were published in two volumes: “Congress of spelling of the language Albanian” I, II, Tirana, 1973). The Congress took stock of all the previous work for the unification of the spelling of the Albanian language. After extensive discussions in plenary sessions and in two sections, it unanimously approved the “Resolution”, which is a synthesis of the thought and common will of people of science, school and Albanian culture. Making a scientific generalization of the analysis of the structure and functional features of today’s Albanian literary language, the resolution affirmed for the first time that “the Albanian people already had a unified literary language”. The Congress marked the beginning of the period of a single unified literary language, which was also supported by the special decision of the Council of Ministers “On measures to implement the unified spelling of the Albanian language” (no. 50, dated 08.03.1974) . Meanwhile, some researchers and creators in emigration continued to write in Gegh dialect with variations according to the provinces of their origin. After the establishment of the pluralist system, demands were expressed not to hinder the cultivation of literary Gegh dialect, especially in literary creativity. With the resumption of religious activity in Albania, the unified literary language was also extended to religious publications. The spelling congress had a wide echo in the social and cultural life of the country and influenced the strengthening of the national spiritual unity. It was the culmination of the continuous efforts of linguists and the Albanian intelligentsia for the gradual convergence of previous literary variants and for the formation of a unified national literary norm. (In the photo: The book “Albanian Spelling Congress”, Tirana, 1973.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1255-1256.
Photo: © http://www.shkenca.org/index.php/ljuhe-shqipe/18-drejtskriti/51-drejtskriti-i-gjuhes-shqipe
Graphic processing: AHCF
