Elifba alphabet
{{short description|Writing system for the Albanian language during the Ottoman Empire}}
File:Elifbaja.png in 1911]]
The Elifba alphabet (Elifba Albanian: ئەلیفبایا ئارابۋ-شكېپ, {{langx|sq|Elifbaja}}, from {{langx|ota|الفبا|Elifbâ}}) was one of the main writing system for the Albanian language during the time of the Ottoman Empire from 19th century to 1911. This Albanian variant of the Abjad Ottoman was used to write the Albanian language. The last version of the Elifbaja shqip was invented by the rilindas, Rexhep Voka (1847-1917). Although the first standardized Albanian script based on the Arabic alphabet was published in the 1800s, Sufi Albanian poets began composing poetry in Albanian using the Arabic script as early as the late 17th century.
History
The Ottoman Turkish alphabet was mainly favored by Albanian Muslims, but also used by some Christians. After being especially used during the Bejte poetry, a primer for the Albanian language in Arabic script was published in 1861 in Constantinople by Mullah Daut Boriçi, a prominent member of the League of Prizren.{{citation| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RGmzir-ITtUC&q=Daut+Bori%C3%A7i&pg=PA76| title=Islam in the Balkans: Religion and Society Between Europe and the Arab World|author=H. T. Norris| page=76|year=1993| publisher=University of South Carolina Press| isbn=9780872499775}}
During 1909 and 1910 there were movements by Albanian Young Turks supporters to adopt the Arabic alphabet, as they considered the Latin script to be un-Islamic. In Elbasan, Muslim clerics led a demonstration for the Arabic script, telling their congregations that using the Latin script would make them infidels. In 1911, the Young Turks dropped their opposition to the Latin alphabet, and the current Latin alphabet for Albanian was adopted. In order to eliminate ambiguity in the pronunciation of the Arabic script, Rexhep Voka developed a customized Arabic alphabet consisting of 44 consonants and vowels, which he published in 1911. However, it was hardly used anymore due to the Congress of Manastir. Tiranli Fazli then used this script to publish a thirty-two page grammar. Only one Albanian newspaper at the time ever appeared in Arabic script, and it lasted a brief period. Regardless of what script appeared, such material raised Albanian national consciousness:Robert Elsie: The Currents of Moslem and Bektash Writing in Albania (1850–1950). In: Albanian Catholic Bulletin. Band 15, 1994, S. 172–177, hier S. 176. There were Albanian Arabic alphabet and reading books published in Constantinople in 1912,Müfid-Yüksel, "1328/1912'de İstanbul'da basılan Arnavutça Alfabe/Elifba&Okuma Kitapları - Albanian Alphabet/Reading Books Published In Istanbul In 1912" [https://x.com/mufidyuksel/status/1287734820928446469 https://x.com/mufidyuksel/status/1287734820928446469] (Originally exctracted from The Turkish Directorate of State Archives and also the Albanian Zemér newspaper published in Constantinople in 1911-12.Müfid-Yüksel, "1911-12'de İstanbul'da Arnavutça yayınlanan Zemér (Yürek) gazetesi. - The Albanian "Zemér" Newspaper published at Istanbul in 1911-12"[https://x.com/mufidyuksel/status/891071868458987520 https://x.com/mufidyuksel/status/891071868458987520]
File:Page from 1911 Albainian Alphabet Primer - Istanbul (1).jpg
File:Page from 1911 Albainian Alphabet Primer - Istanbul (2).jpg
Alphabet
{{cite web|title=Abetarja Gjuhës Shqipe me Alfabet Osman|last=Avdija|first=Fahri|url=https://www.academia.edu/35885367}}
| class="wikitable"
!Albanian !Arabic !Final !Medial !Initial !IPA |
| A
|ا |ـا |ـا |ا | [a] |
| B
|ب |ـب |ـبـ |بـ | [b] |
| C
|څ |ـڅ |ـڅـ |څـ | [ts] |
| Ç
|چ |ـچ |ـچـ |چـ | [tʃ] |
| D
|د |ـد |ـد |د | [d] |
| Dh
|ذ |ـذ |ـذ |ذ | [ð] |
| E
|ە |ـە |ـە |ئە | [ɛ] |
| Ë
|2 |2 |2 |2 | [ə] |
| F
|ف |ـف |ـفـ |فـ | [f] |
| G
|غ |ـغ |ـغـ |غـ | [g] |
| Gj
|گ |ـگ |ـگـ |گـ | [ɟ] |
| H
|ھ |ـھ |ـھـ |ھـ | [h] |
| I
|ې |ـېـ |ـې |اېـ | [i] |
| J
|ی |ـیـ |ـیـ |یـ | [j] |
| K
|ق |ـق |ـقـ |قـ | [k] |
| L
|ل |ـل |ـلـ |لـ | [l] |
| Ll
|ݪ |ـݪ |ـݪـ |ݪـ | [ɫ] |
| M
|م |ـم |ـمـ |مـ | [m] |
| N
|ن |ـن |ـنـ |نـ | [n] |
| Ng
|ݿ |ـݿ |ـݿـ |ݿـ | [ŋ] |
| Nj
|ڬ |ـڬ |ـڬـ |ڬـ | [ɲ] |
| O
|ۋ |ـۋ |ـۋ |اۋ | [o] |
| P
|پ |ـپ |ـپـ |پـ | [p] |
| Q
|ك |ـك |ـكـ |كـ | [c] |
| R
|ر |ـر |ـر |ر | [ɾ] |
| Rr
|ݛ |ـݛ |ـݛ |ݛ | [ɾ] |
| S
|س |ـس |ـسـ |سـ | [s] |
| Sh
|ش |ـش |ـشـ |شـ | [ʃ] |
| T
|ت |ـت |ـتـ |تـ | [t] |
| Th
|ث |ـث |ـثـ |ثـ | [θ] |
| U
|و |ـو |ـو |او | [u] |
| V
|ڤ |ڤـ |ـڤـ |ـڤ | [v] |
| X
|ڗ |ـڗ |ـڗ |ڗ | [dz] |
| Xh
|ج |ـج |ـجـ |جـ | [dʒ] |
| Y
|ۏ |ـۏ |ـۏ |اۏ | [y] |
| Z
|ز |ـز |ـز |ز | [z] |
| Zh
|ژ |ـژ |ـژ |ژ | [ʒ] |
Sample text
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Albanian:
| class="wikitable"
! In Latin ! In Arabic ! Translation |
| Të gjithë njerëzit lindin të lirë dhe të barabartë në dinjitet dhe në të drejta. Ata kanë arsye dhe ndërgjegje dhe duhet të sillen ndaj njëri tjetrit me frymë vëllazërimi.
|dir="rtl"|{{Script/Arabic|size=100%|lang=sq-Arab|ت2 گېث2 ڬەر2زېت لېندېن ت2 لېر2 ذە ت2 بارابارت2 ن2 دېڬېتەت ذە ن2 ت2 درەیتا. اتا قان2 ارسۏئە ذە ند2رگەگە ذە دوھەت ت2 سېللەن ندای ڬ2رې تیەترېت مە فرۏم2 ڤ2للازىٕرېمې.}} | All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Arabic alphabets}}