Todhri alphabet

The Todhri alphabet is an 18th-century Albanian alphabet invented for writing the Albanian language by Dhaskal Todhri (born Theodor (Todhri) Haxhifilipi).[1] It is a complex writing system of fifty-two characters which was used sporadically for written communication in and around Elbasan from the late eighteenth century on. The Todhri alphabet was discovered in Elbasan by Johann Georg von Hahn (1811–1869) who published it in 1854 his work Albanesische Studien in Jena.[2] He considered it to be 'the original' Albanian alphabet and a derivative of ancient Phoenician script. Leopold Geitler (1847–1885) and Slovenian scholar Rajko Nahtigal (1877–1958) subsequently studied the alphabet, concluding that it was derived primarily from the Roman cursive.[3]

The earliest existing text in Todhri's script is Radhua Hesapesh (daybook) of a local merchant partnership known as Jakov Popa i Vogël dhe Shokët (Jakov Popa Junior and Friends). The entries in Todhri's script start on 10 August 1795 and continue until 1797.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Stefanaq Pollo (1983). Historia e Shqipërisë: Vitet 30 të shek. XIX-1912. Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë, Instituti i Historisë. p. 169.
  2. ↑ Johann Georg Hahn (30 May 2015). The Discovery of Albania: Travel Writing and Anthropology in the Nineteenth Century Balkans. I.B.Tauris. p. 8. ISBN 9781784532925.
  3. ↑ Elsie, Robert. "The Elbasan Gospel Manuscript (Anonimi i Elbasanit), 1761, and the struggle for an original Albanian alphabet" (PDF). elsie.de. p. 4.
  4. ↑ Dhimiter Shuteriqi (1976), Shkrimet Shqipe ne Vitet 1332-1850, Tirana: Academy of Sciences of PR of Albania, p. 140, OCLC 252881121
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