Slavisation of medieval Albanian onomastics in the area of Kosova, Nish and Shtip

Abstract

Data extracted from historical sources, archive matter, and Ragusa and Zara archives, as well as onomastic subject extracted from Istanbul and Ankara archives bring clear proof that in Middle Ages through collocations, translation, and Slavic suffixes prior to the setting of Ottoman administration in the Albanian lands. Proof coming from these first-hand sources uncontested and transparently prove that numerous proto-Albanian toponyms had been created prior to the setting of Slavic-Serb and even Bulgarian rule. So, prior to the 11th century, when Albanian lands during 927-1018 were under the medieval Bulgarian rule the first Slavic layer of place names were set, namely before the setting of medieval Serb administration in Kosova and other Albanian territories, prior to 1186-1196. These Slavic layers on the Albanian toponomy continued with greater intensity during the 13-15th centuries when Albanian lands were occupied and administered by medieval Serb rulers.