I agree with those who said it has a similar cadence to ceremonial Latin, while also having a vague "Turk vibe" to it.
As a whole, it basically sounds like a gruff Indo-European tribal language in my ears - which is what it is.
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I agree with those who said it has a similar cadence to ceremonial Latin, while also having a vague "Turk vibe" to it.
As a whole, it basically sounds like a gruff Indo-European tribal language in my ears - which is what it is.
It depend on what Gheg region you are in, the ones in Gjakova and Prizren have a more soft melodic accent, but in north kosovo the accent sounds some what Russian like... Especially in Prishtina. but in most kosovo places where ever you go it sounds more Romanian like.
In Suhrek they say Shka instead of Qka which means what.
Sound a mix of Slavic and Greek
Somewhat Slavic sounding.
Like a sort of Slavic with Romanian/Latin accent.
BTW it is true that in Albanian (don't remember if Tosk or Gheg) Katalan means a one-eyed monster?
Gheg is divided into four sub-dialects: Northwest Gheg, Northeast Gheg, Central Gheg, and Southern Gheg.
Northwest Gheg is spoken throughout Montenegro, northwestern Kosovo (west of Pej), Lezhė, northwestern Mirditė, Pukė, and Shkodėr.
Northeast Gheg is spoken throughout most of Kosovo, Presheve, Has, northeastern Mirditė, Kukės, Tropojė, and northern Tetovo.
Central Gheg is spoken in Debar, Gostivar, Krujė, Peshkopi, southern Mirditė, Mat, eastern Struga, and southern Tetovo.
Southern Gheg is spoken in Durrės, northern Elbasan, northern Peqin, Kavajė, northwest Struga, and Tirana.
Northwest Gheg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBVPYvx3iJA
Northeast Gheg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcmaAb1rVIk
Central Gheg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxRIr1sYfY
Southern Gheg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_pX5gUVRXo
It must have some Turkish words. I'm pretty sure every Balkan language, even Greek, contains at least a few Turkish words.
At one time, I and my Macedonian friends used to use the few bits of Albanian we knew just to fool everyone else. The problem was we had learnt our few phrases from one friend who had an Albanian father and Macedonian mother, but had spoken Greek most of his life, and from another friend who was really Vlah, but came from southern Albania. I just checked "How are you?" with Google translate and it tells me "Si jeni?". We used to say "Si veti?". One day, at the Hellenic Club, my friends were all playing cards and my Vlah friend steered me to a table with a couple of guys and we went through the "Mirė" routine and then I discovered to my embarrassment that they were real Albanians. They thought it was a huge joke.