August 2020 e-ISSN: 1857-8187 p-ISSN: 1857-8179 Reserch Article Linguistics ANTHROPONYMY IN MIRDITA. HISTORY OF ANTHROPONYMY IN Keywords: toponyms, anthroponies, MIRDITA ethnonyms, hydronyms, oikonims. Arta Malshi University of Tirana. Albania. Abstract Mirdita, one of the most unified, most identical provinces of the Albanian lands, with a much defined status, in customs and traditions, in clothing and in popular law, with a special provincial cohesion, a name of pride for its inhabitants, began to appear as early as the Middle Ages, with different names, although it was the nucleus of medieval Dukagjini. In what is called Mirdita, in the broadest sense, in the Middle Ages there was an old local Arberian population and this has been proved by the numerous cemeteries, as common burials in one place, a place with agriculture, vineyards, trees, mills, which explains of a sedentary population and this is proved by the numerous churches and monasteries that have their roots in the Early Middle Ages and the body in the Middle Ages. Even today, migratory movements for different reasons are indicative that the people of Mirdita, wherever they are, preserve the memory of their province and consciously present themselves: "I came from Mirdita!”. Introduction Mirdita1, one of the most unified, most identical provinces of the Albanian lands, with a much defined status, in customs and traditions, in clothing and in popular law, with a special provincial cohesion, a name of pride for its inhabitants, began to appear as early as the Middle Ages, with different names, although it was the nucleus of medieval Dukagjini. We learn from Tirta's study that: The evidence of the times clearly tell us that the population of these areas that are included in Mirdita, since medieval times has been with living culture and economic resources, autochthonous and not nomadic. We must be clear that the toponymic name Mirditë in different times and cases is presented with narrower meanings, but in different degrees of size, but also with a broad meaning, as a complete and provincial geographical-ethnological unit. Administrative designations may change, extend in width, but the provincial connections in the docks and traditions remain. At the same time, it is emphasized that: It is interesting to note that the name Mirdita with its narrow meaning, comes to us in the Middle Ages, mostly, through the anthroponyms of the migrants who left from there. So they took with them the name Mirdita, as an adjective, as a memory of the country they came from. Thus we have Gjon Mirdita and Pjetër Mirdita, coming from the areas between the valleys of the two Fandas of Mat and settled in Manzabardh, a village near the Drini, in the south of Shkodra (Venetian Cadastre of Shkodra, 1416-1417), also, according to the Ottoman records, 1467, in Suhadol of Dibra is settled Ndre Mirdita and in Shipshan, also of Dibra: Gjon Mirdita. 1 Tirta, Mark. Etnokultura shqiptare, ligji doksore, Tiranë 2016. Page | 10 Anglisticum Journal (IJLLIS),Volume: 9 | Issue: 8| August 2020 e-ISSN: 1857-8187 p-ISSN: 1857-8179 In the 15th century we find Gjon Mirdita embedded in the Headquarters of Pjetër Mirdita in Bërzanë (Not very far from Ura e Matit, Ura e Zogut). In various anthroponyms of people who left their early province, are mentioned old medieval names, and further Fandi, Ndërfanda, Doçi, Skanda and so on. The name Skanda, as an anthroponym is mentioned in 4 villages in Zadrima and Nënshkodër. Bratin Skanda in Shirq, Gjin Skanda in Balldre, Gjon Skanda and Pjetër Skanda in Samrisht, Katalina and Pjetër Skanda in Gleros (near Beltoja) (Venetian Cadastre of Shkodra, 1416-1417.) Skanda is mentioned in Dibër (1467), in Mat (1467) at the place where Fandi and Mat meet, near Fang. In the Ottoman registers (1529-1536) where it is spoken about Mirdita and Zadrima, SKANDA’s village is marked with 4 houses near Vau i Dejes and one village near Ragami. It is also mentioned there a Scandani village, derived from the anthroponym Skanda (1671 and 1702). SKANDA’s name will be found everywhere later as an anthroponym and toponym, take it: Skanda Mountain in Dibër, opposite Gamsiqe (as Jastrebov mentions to us). Tirta testifies that: The Doda Brotherhood (later Meksi) of Labova e Zhapa, Lunxheri) is from Mirdita. Earlier they had the surname Doda as J. G. van Hahnn says and later they changed it to Meksi. The Malo Brotherhood, in Odrie of Lunxhëria, originated from the Malajt of Kthella in Mirdita. The memorization, in the use of the name of the birthplace, of the province of the first has a special meaning, very significant for the spiritual connection of the displaced with their province, with their birthplace or of the grandparents: Mirdita, Fandi, Skanda, Suli , Kthella, Spaçi and so on. In what is called Mirdita, in the broadest sense, in the Middle Ages there was an old local Arberian population and this has been proved by the numerous cemeteries, as common burials in one place, a place with agriculture, vineyards, trees, mills, which explains of a sedentary population and this is proved by the numerous churches and monasteries that have their roots in the Early Middle Ages and the body in the Middle Ages. Evidence and various historical sources speak about this. In Mirdita are also settled the Albanian populations coming from the northernmost areas of Upper Albania. We have Thaçet of Domgjon, Gojan and Gomsiqa and some other areas of Mirdita that have come from Montenegro merged in the Middle Ages with the local population. Kthella is also called the Bajraks of Ohrid and this is, of course, an administrative name, due to the fact that this area as a land once wrote as a subordinate to the Ohrid sanxhak. But, on the other hand, there are data on the arrival of the Albanian population from the Albanian areas of Macedonia, from the Slavo-Bulgarian pressure even later and in the conditions of the Ottoman occupation. Shtjefën Gaspri in the XVII century (year 1672) says that the Mirditas came there 180 years ago. The different testimonies coincide with each other. Ottoman sources also speak about this problem. New churches built in Orosh, Spaç and Kushnen in the XVI-XVII century, have the same names of saints as those of the old churches in Has of Gjakova as: St. John (Shengjin), St. Nicholas, St. George, Redeemer. (San Salvatori) and so on. Page | 11 Anglisticum Journal (IJLLIS),Volume: 9 | Issue: 8| August 2020 e-ISSN: 1857-8187 p-ISSN: 1857-8179 The scholar Tirta observes in the grouping related to the anthroponym Morina: it is kept coming from Mirdita just as the Pogaj (Pogu) of Has are kept with the same origin. They call them "Fanda", as it is generally called every brotherhood that came, or the so-called coming, from Mirdita. On the other hand, it should be clarified that in Mirdita we do not find in any folklore, in any toponymy or anthroponym, in any written source to tell us about the presence of the Morina or Pogu fraternity with early origins and settlement in these mountainous areas, in a bygone era, and then fled to Kosovo. There is talk of other fraternities or special families that once fled to Kosovo, but with completely different names and fraternities. Again the folklore comes to our aid to clarify in some way these confusing phenomena. She tells us that Shala, Shoshi and Mirdita came from Pashtrik of Gjakova to these mountains where they are today, but when these highlands were invaded, they went to Pashtrik again for some time. Numerous legends about this have been collected by F. Nopça and E. Durham since the beginning of the XX century, when these were even clearer in the memory of the people. The inhabitants of these provinces (Shale, Shosh and Mirdita) 2 came from the mountains of Pashtrik near Gjakova when the Turks first invaded the West. Prior to this migration they were part of the Peja tribes and were all Christians (there is reason to think that the Mirditas once, according to her, were Orthodox). They further show that, when the Turks took Shkodra and were desolating the country, they invaded again, for some time, and settled in their mountains in Pashtrik; returned to the places where they live today only 250 years later. Among other things, Tirta brings important evidence for: Përshpalaj of Spaç show that they have their origin from Vllaznia Kalaj of Kthella e Epër. The Vâthaj, supportedand closed by the Bibaj tribe in Spaç, are descended from Fregni of Dibrrit. Vâthi came and settled in Spaç as a "grandson" daughter, grandson of a daughter. The reason for the migration is that he was left without parents and at the risk of blood feud, his was taken by his uncle to protect him from being murdered. They had put an earring in his ear in order, according to popular belief, so that the rifle would not catch him, that is, to protect him from being murder. This is how the surname Vâthi remained and today it is a whole genus living in Spaç, based on the Bibaj relative3. Deda of Oroshi, are described as a genus, as a big door, as prime pride on this Land, there are some branches supported by it like Lalaj, Rrehnakët and so on, thus new comers to this place. A branch of Lalajve (Dedaj) of Orosh has once moved and settled in Vela of Vendi in Dheun of Malësia Lezhë (inside Mirdita). Çoku i Oroshit consists of a local branch (Pal Çoku of Çokaj of Lajthiza and on the other hand supported branches coming from Korthpula of Dibrri) and of Pulaj of Selita (inside Mirdita).