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"The draft of the new Albanian language dictionary contains errors"/ Zhupa: The Academy of Sciences will be summoned to a hearing

2026-01-16 12:01:00, Aktualitet CNA

"The draft of the new Albanian language dictionary contains errors"/

Democratic Party MP, also chairwoman of the Committee on Culture, Tourism and Diaspora, Ina Zhupa, stated today that the new Albanian language dictionary prepared by the Academy of Sciences presents serious concerns about a lack of professionalism.

According to her, "it is easy to find mistakes, discrimination, inconsistencies with the definitions of terms according to the laws, etc."

"Language is the foundation of national culture. The vocabulary of a language is not simply a list of words, but a cultural, scientific and national act."

"It is precisely for this reason that the Albanian language vocabulary must be accurate, responsible and in line with the contemporary development of society," Zhupa underlined.

Zhupa emphasized that the new dictionary put out for public consultation has errors and positions that cannot be overlooked and are extremely problematic.

Zhupa announced that he will request a hearing with the Academy of Sciences to provide professional explanations regarding the drafting method.

"The new Albanian language dictionary prepared by the Academy of Sciences raises serious concerns about a lack of professionalism! It easily contains errors, discrimination, inconsistencies with the definitions of terms according to laws, etc.

Language is the foundation of national culture. The vocabulary of a language is not simply a list of words, but a cultural, scientific and national act. Precisely for this reason, the vocabulary of the Albanian language must be accurate, responsible and in line with the contemporary development of society.

The new dictionary put out for public consultation has errors and positions that cannot be overlooked and are extremely problematic.

As Chair of the Committee on Culture, I will request a hearing in the committee, where the Academy of Sciences will provide professional and open explanations to the public and the scientific community on the drafting method, working groups, language files, research work, and consultations conducted.

It is in the public interest, as long as it concerns an official dictionary, made with public funds and an essential element of national identity. This hearing will not be treated as political at all, but as a cultural and national issue. The Albanian language deserves seriousness, professionalism and high institutional responsibility and a serious discussion.

The preparation of a dictionary is not only a linguistic task, but also a cultural and national act, which helps preserve and develop the identity of a nation.

Some of the public examples are clearly a manifestation of poor quality and problematic work on many levels. For example:

1. The introduction of the word “abandonment” into the Albanian-Albanian dictionary. A foreign word, in this case from Italian, cannot be certified as “Albanian” and the Albanian word “braktis” given as an explanation.

2. The introduction of the word "online" from the English "online".

The mechanical transliteration of loanwords, without scientific criteria and without real linguistic need, does not enrich Albanian, but deforms it.

3. The deeply discriminatory definition of the words "boy" and "girl".

In the new dictionary, "boy" is described with positive notes: brave, wise, pillar of the home, hopeful.

While "girl" is associated with a series of negative, offensive, and morally prejudicial definitions.

This spirit is not only scientifically unacceptable, but also socially dangerous, because it normalizes a male-dominated and discriminatory mentality through a normative language document.

4. Political terminology, the case of the word "party".

The explanation given in the online dictionary is in complete contrast to the Constitution, the law on political parties, and modern democratic concepts.

The definition of "party" as "an organization of a social class or stratum that fights for its interests" belongs to an outdated ideological paradigm, not to the pluralistic and constitutional reality of Albania and EU countries.

The dictionary cannot be ideological, prejudiced, or indifferent to linguistic and identity history. It shapes thought, educates generations, and determines what is considered "correct Albanian," Zhupa wrote on social media./ CNA