Albanians: Difference between revisions
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
{{UnderCon}} | {{UnderCon}} | ||
The first mention of the ethnonym [[File:Albania-icon.png]] [[Albanoi]] occurred in the 2nd century AD by [[File:Noocracy-icon.png]] [[Noocracy|Ptolemy]] describing an [[File:Illyria-icon.png]] [[Illyria|Illyrian]] tribe who lived around present-day central Albania. Though, the first certain reference to Albanians as an ethnic group comes from much later, in the 11th century and from the chronicler [[File:Tradition-icon.png]] [[Noocracy|Michael Attaleiates]] who describes them as living in the [[File:Byzantine-icon.png]] [[Dyrrhachium|theme of Dyrrhachium]]. | The first mention of the ethnonym [[File:Albania-icon.png]] [[Albanoi]] occurred in the 2nd century AD by [[File:Noocracy-icon.png]] [[Noocracy|Ptolemy]] describing an [[File:Illyria-icon.png]] [[Illyria|Illyrian]] tribe who lived around present-day central Albania. Though, the first certain reference to Albanians as an ethnic group comes from much later, in the 11th century and from the chronicler [[File:Tradition-icon.png]] [[Noocracy|Michael Attaleiates]] who describes them as living in the [[File:Byzantine-icon.png]] [[Dyrrhachium|theme of Dyrrhachium]]. | ||
The first <b>certain</b> attestation of medieval Albanians as an ethnic group is in [[File:Byzantine-icon.png]] [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] historiography in the work of [[File:Noocracy-icon.png]] [[Noocracy|Michael Attaleiates]] (1022–1080). Attaleiates mentions the term Albanoi twice and the term Arbanitai once. | |||
[[Category:Characters]] | [[Category:Characters]] | ||
[[Category:People Groups]] | [[Category:People Groups]] | ||
Revision as of 02:40, 20 September 2024
For the country, see Albania.
The Albanians are an ethnicity that mainly resides in the Balkans. They are the main ethnic group of 
Albania and 
Kosovo, and they also live in the neighboring countries of 
North Macedonia, 
Montenegro, 
Greece, and 
Serbia, as well as in 
Italy, 
Croatia, 
Bulgaria, and 
Turkey. Albanians also constitute a large diaspora with several communities established across 
Europe and the other continents.
Albanians are believed to have a western Paleo-Balkanic origin, and due to geographic and historical factors, many scholars agree that they are at least partially descended from the 
Illyrians. However, the question of which specific Paleo-Balkan groups contributed to the ethnogenesis of the Albanians remains a topic of academic debate.
History
The first mention of the ethnonym Albanoi occurred in the 2nd century AD by 
Ptolemy describing an Illyrian tribe who lived around present-day central Albania. Though, the first certain reference to Albanians as an ethnic group comes from much later, in the 11th century and from the chronicler 
Michael Attaleiates who describes them as living in the 
theme of Dyrrhachium.
The first certain attestation of medieval Albanians as an ethnic group is in Byzantine historiography in the work of Michael Attaleiates (1022–1080). Attaleiates mentions the term Albanoi twice and the term Arbanitai once.
