OBSERVATIONS ON THE USE OF THE ALBANIAN AND ITALIAN INFINITIVE

Abstract

The lack of a proper infinitive form in the Albanian language has always aroused extensive discussions among the Albanian linguists. Different opinions and theories have been concerned with this issue, but it has not been given a definitive answer yet, taking into consideration the existence of the two main dialects of the Albanian language; the Gheg dialect spoken in the northern part of Albania, which is presupposed to carry the proper form of the infinitive the same as the other Indo-European languages and the Tosk dialect spoken in the southern part of Albania, which on the other hand is considered to be the basis of the Albanian standard language. This discussion takes a new dimension once exposed to the difficulties of its translation into a foreign language and vice versa. Consequently, here it naturally comes the beginning of our study question: What grammatical forms and tools would result as the most appropriate for the expression of the mode of the subjunctive and the infinitive form in both languages? What would be the most appropriate form for the expression of certain functions or modes in each of these languages and between them, the subjunctive or the infinitive form? In what cases the Italian infinitive form corresponds to the Albanian infintive form and vice versa? In what cases the Italian infinitive form corresponds to the Albanian subjunctive form and vice versa? In what cases both languages avoid the respective verbal forms? This article is focused on giving a complete response to all these questions and other issues related to them.