Frang Bardhi

Frang Bardhi (Latin Franciscus Blancus, * 1606 Kallmet të Zadrimës, Albania, † 1643) was from 1636 until his death bishop of the Albanian diocese of Sapa and Sardis. As the first he wrote a Latin- Albanian dictionary. About his church work out Bardhi is therefore an important figure of the Albanian cultural and linguistic history.

Life

About Bardhis life little is known. He came from a holding within the fertile Zadrima - level village near Lezha. His theology studies, he graduated from the Illyrian seminar in Loreto near Ancona. 1636 he was appointed Bishop of Sapa and Sarda. In his relations to the Congregation De Propaganda Fide and the Roman Curia Bardhi described that the Christians of his diocese were very oppressed by Muslim men. Bardhi did not think much of foreign missionaries in the parish ministry, but his goal was enough educate Albanian candidates for the priesthood. The missionaries from abroad should see the maintenance of schools, the local youths prepared for the study, their main task. Bardhis this regard hopes were dashed for many reasons: The Muslims were the establishment of Catholic schools barely, he lacked also of money and of suitable teachers, eventually left him little time for his big goal, because at the age of only 37 years overtook him of death.

Work

Frang Bardhi is best known for his Latin- Albanian dictionary, which he left in 1635 to print in Rome. In the classicizing style of the time he called his Albanian mother tongue lingua epirotica ( Epirus language ). Bardhis work consists of over 5600 Latin entries, which have been translated with approximately 2500 different gegischen expressions. The appendix contains some lists with the Albanian people and place names, short dialogues as application examples and more than 100 Albanian proverbs. It was indeed the first Albanian dictionary. Bishop Bardhi had thought the book primarily as a tool for young Albanian theologians had to familiarize themselves for their profession with the Latin language. Today, the Latino Dictionary Epiroticum one of the most important sources for the development of the Albanian language in the 17th century.

The second revealed by Bardhi work is the so-called Skanderbeg apology. He was responding to a 1631 published copy of the Bosnian cleric Marnavich Tomko, who had called Skanderbeg as Slavic princes. In his Entgegenung Bardhi clarified the reader about the Albanian descent of the Prince of Kruja, and he expressed the hope that his countrymen would one day so successful fight against the Turks, as they had done under the leadership of Scanderbeg.

Culture History Bardhis are interesting relations to the papal authorities in Rome. He described it not only the political situation in the Ottoman ruled Albania, but also gives information about the financial situation and the way of life of the rural population. For the villages of his diocese, he makes quite accurate information about the population and religious affiliation.