Many places have exonyms, names for places that differs from that used in the official or well-established language within that place, in the Albanian language.
Albanian has a relatively small number of true exonyms in areas beyond the current borders of Albania and Kosovo, mostly in neighboring countries, and those are listed here.
In addition, Albanian is a language with phonetic spelling that includes orthographic exonymy, i.e. it renders the names of non-Albanian places and people phonetically according to Albanian orthography. For example, Manchester is written as Mançester, Los Angeles as Los Anxheles, and New York as Nju Jork, etc. These are not listed here.
Grammatical forms of Albanian placenames True Albanian exonyms, not mere orthographic exonyms, like all Albanian placenames can be rendered in two forms the same way as common nouns, the definite and indefinite forms.Leonard Newmark, Philip Hubbard, Peter R. Prifti. Standard Albanian: a reference grammar for students. Stanford University Press, 1982. p. 158. . These forms are created with postpositions to the placename.
When using English or another foreign language, Albanians tend to use the definite form but on road signs and other similar usage, the indefinite form is used because there is an implied preposition në, meaning "to" or "in", which is followed by the indefinite.Gillian Gloyer. The Bradt Travel Guide Albania. 3rd edition. Bradt Travel Guides, 2008. . Maps, especially those produced in Albania, consistently use the indefinite form.
The two forms are applied differently depending on grammatical gender of the word. "Recommended international usage for Albanian toponyms" in Kosovo has feminine place names appearing in the definite form and masculine place names in the indefinite form. However, in Albania, English usage is of the indefinite for both feminine and masculine placenames except for the capital, Tirana. Masculine nouns usually take the suffix -i and feminine ones the suffix -a (which overrides a final -ë).
Austria AustriaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageViennaVjenëWienGerman
Azerbaijan AzerbajxhanEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBakuBakuBakıAzeri
Belgium BelgjikaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBrusselsBrukselKNAB, the Place Names Database of EKIBrusselDutchBruxellesFrench
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnja dhe HercegovinaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBrčkoBërçkaBrčkoBosnianSarajevoSarajevëSarajevoBosnian
Bulgaria BullgariaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguagePlovdivPl(l)ovdiv, FilipopojëPlovdivBulgarianSofiaSofjeSofijaBulgarian
China KinëEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBeijingPekinBěijīngMandarin
Croatia KroaciaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageArbanasiArbanëshiArbanasiCroatianŠibenikShibenikuŠibenikCroatianZadarZaraZadarCroatianDubrovnikRushDubrovnikCroatianhistorical; no longer in use
Cyprus QiproEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageNicosiaNikoziaLefkoşaTurkishLefkosíaGreek
Czechia ÇekiaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguagePraguePragëPrahaCzech
Denmark DanimarkaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageCopenhagenKopenhagen, KopenhagëKøbenhavnDanish
Egypt EgjiptiEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageCairoKajroQāhirahArabic
Greece GreqiaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageAetomilitsaDenckëAetomilítsaGreekAmmoudiaSpllancëAmmúdiaGreekAnthousaRrapezëAnthúsaGreekArgos OrestikoHurupisht, RupishtÁrgos OrestikóGreekArtaArtë, NartëArtaGreekBizaniBezhanBizániCorfuKorfuz, QarfozKérkyraDelvinakiDelvinaqDelvinákiDrosopigiBellkamenDrosopigíEdessaVodenëÉdessaElassonaAllasonjëElassónaFanariFrarFanáriFiliatesFilatFiliátesFlampouroNegovanFlámpouroFlorinaFollorinëFlórinaGrevenaGrebenéGrevenáGoumenissaGumenicëGuménissaIgoumenitsaGumenicëIgumenítsaIoanninaJaninëIoánninaKalabakaKallabakëKalabákaKalamataKallamatëKalamátaKastoriaKosturKastoriáKastrionKastricëKastríonKatavothraLuaratKatavóthraKavalaKavallëKaválaLekhovonLehovëLékhovonLivadeiaLivadhjaLivadeiáMargaritiMargëllëç, MargëlliçMargarítiMessolonghiMesolongji, MeslonjëMessolongíMetsovoMecovë, MeçovëMétsovoNarkissosArcëNarkíssosOthoniThonuzOthoníParamithiaParamithiParamithiáParapotamosVarfanjParapótamosPatrasPatërPátraPeloponneseMoré, PeloponezPelopónnisosPerdikaArpicëPerdikaPlatariaPllotarëPlatariáPogonianiVoshtinëPogonianíPtolemaidaKajlarPtolemaïdaSagiadaSajadhëSagiádaStavroupoliKristopojëStavrúpoliSyvotaVolëSývotaThemelonTabanThemélonThesprotikonLelovëThesprotikónThessalonikiSelanikThessalonikíTrikalaTërkallë, TrikallëTríkalaTripoliTripolicëTripolíVuvousaVuvucëVuvúsa
Israel IzraeliEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageJerusalemJeruzalemAl QudsArabicYerushalayim (ירושליים)HebrewNazarethNazaretNaseriyyeArabicNatzrat (נצרת)Hebrew
Italy ItaliaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageAcquaformosaFirmozaBarileBarilliCampomarinoKemariniCaraffa di CatanzaroGarfaraCasavecchia di PugliaKazallveqiCastroregioKasternexhiCavallerizzoCajaverizziCerzetoQanaChieutiQeftiCivitaCiftiFalconara AlbaneseFallkunaraFirmoFermaFrascinetoFrasnithaGenoaGjenovëGenovaItalianLungroUngraMacchia AlbaneseMaqiMaschitoMashqitiMezzioiusoMunxifsiMongrassanoMongrasanaMontecilfoneMunxhfunePalazzo AdrianoPalaciPallagorioPuherioPiana dei GreciHora e ArbëreshëvetPlataciPllataniPortocannonePortokanuniSan BasileShën VasiliSan Benedetto UllanoShën BenedhitiSan Cosmo AlbaneseStrighariSan Constantino AlbaneseShën KostadiniSan Demetrio CoroneShën MitriSan Giacomo di CerzetuShën JapkuSan Giorgio di AlbaneseMbuzatiSan Martino di San FinitaShën MurtiriSan Marzano di San GiuseppeShën MarcaniSan Nicola dell'AltoShën KolliSan Paolo AlbaneseShën PaliSanta Catarina AlbanesePiciliaSanta Cristina GelaSendahstinaSanta Sofia d'EpiroShën SofiaSpezzano AlbaneseSpixanoTriesteTrieshtëUruriRuriVaccarizzo AlbaneseVakariciVena di MaideVinaVeniceVenedikVenexiaVenetianVilla BadessaBadhessa
Jordan JordaniaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageAmmanAmaniAmmānArabic
Lebanon LibaniEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageTripoliTripoliTarābulusArabic
Libya LibiaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageTripoliTripoliTarābulusArabic
Mongolia MongoliaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageUlanbaataarUlan BatorUlanbaataarMongolian
Montenegro Mali i ZiEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBarTivarBarMontenegrinBijelo PoljeBellopojëBijelo PoljeMontenegrinBudvaBuduëBudvaMontenegrinCetinjeCetinëCetinjeMontenegrinGusinjaGuci, GusiGusinjaMontenegrinKolašinKoloshinKolašinMontenegrinNikšićNikshiqNikšićMontenegrinPlavPlavëPlavMontenegrinPljevljePlevlëPljevljeMontenegrinPodgoricaPodogoricë; Anamal, BurguriçëPodgoricaMontenegrinUlcinjUlqinUlcinjMontenegrinŽabljakZhabjakŽabljakMontenegrin
Nepal NepaliEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageKathmanduKatmanduKantipurNepali
Netherlands HolandaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageThe HagueHagëDen HaagDutch
North Macedonia Maqedonia e VeriutEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBitolaManastirBitolaMacedonianDibraDibërDebarMacedonianGevgeliaGjevgjeliGevgeljaMacedonianKicevoUskanëKičevoMacedonianKocaniKoçanKočaniMacedonianKratovoArvanjëKratovoMacedonianKrusevoArbineshKruševoMacedonianOhridOhër, OhriOhridMacedonianPrilepPërlepPrilepMacedonianRadovisRadovishtRadovišMacedonianResenResnjëResenMacedonianSar MountainsBjeshkët e Sharrit, Malet e Sharrit, Mali i SharritŠar MountainsMacedonianSkopjeShkupSkopjeMacedonianSveti NikoleArbanasSveti NikoleMacedonianValandovoVallandovëValandovoMacedonianZajasZajazZajasMacedonian
Oman OmaniEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageMuskatMuskatMasqaṭArabic
Russia RusiaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageMoscowMoskëMoskvaRussianSaint PetersburgShën-PjetërburguSankt-PeterburgRussian
Saudi Arabia Arabia SauditeEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageMedinaMedinaMadīnaArabicMeccaMekaMakkahArabic
Serbia SerbiaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageBlaceBllacëBlaceSerbianBujanovacBujanocBujanovacSerbianKuršumlijaKurshumliKuršumlijaSerbianLeskovacLeskocLeskovacSerbianAlso known in Albanian as LeshkuqMedveđaMedvegjëMedveđaSerbianNovi PazarPazar i Ri, Treg i RiNovi PazarSerbianProkupljePërkupleProkupljeSerbianSjenicaSenicëSjenicaSerbianVlasotinceVllasotincëVlasotinceSerbianVranjeVrajëVranjeSerbian
Somalia SomaliaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageMogadishuMogadishuMuqdishoSomali
Switzerland ZvicraEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageGenevaGjenevëGenèvreFrenchGenfGerman
Turkey TurqiaEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageEdirneEdërne, AdrianopojëEdirneTurkishİstanbulStamboll, KonstantinopojëİstanbulTurkish
Ukraine UkrainëEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageKyivKievKyivUkrainian
United Kingdom Mbretëria e BashkuarEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageCardiffKardifCaerdyddWelshEdinburghEdinburgDún ÈideannScottish GaelicEdinburghScots, EnglishLondonLondërLondonEnglish
Uzbekistan UzbekistaniEnglish nameAlbanian nameEndonymNotesNameLanguageTashkentTashkentToshkentUzbek
See also List of European exonyms
References