The Upper Reka dialect is a member of the wider northern Gheg subgroup of the Albanian language spoken by northern Albanians. Speakers of the dialect are mainly located within the territory of the sub-region of Upper Reka in north-western North Macedonia. Due to the geographical isolation of the Upper Reka region, the Upper Reka dialect also developed linguistic peculiarities that differentiate it from other varieties of Albanian. Within the Gheg dialects, the Upper Reka dialect is classified as a Central Gheg dialect,. along with the dialects of the Kruja, Mati and Dibra regions.
Linguistic characteristics
Phonology The Upper Reka dialect contains phonological and morphological characteristics that are unique of speakers in Albanian within Upper Reka. For example, the Albanian letter (in Standard Albanian, ) often voiced as a hard () sound in some Northern dialects is articulated as a soft sound in Upper Reka. Unlike Northern Albanian dialects, which mainly pronounce the Albanian characters () as a hard () sound, in Upper Reka it is at times rendered as a soft () sound, reminiscent of some Southern Albanian dialects. The cluster () as in the word djathë (cheese) are also substituted for a sound (i.e. *gjathë) in certain instances. The consonant cluster as in plak (old), pleh (manure) and plis (pileus) of the Reka dialect has been replaced in certain instances with causing words to be pronounced as ptak, pteh and ptis. The sound cluster word internally like tepsi ("large baking pan/tray") is in the Upper Reka dialect partially nasalized into making words to be pronounced for example as temtsi..
Unlike in some Albanian dialects (typically Northern), where the sound cluster has contracted into , in Upper Reka it is maintained in words like katund (spread out village), nder (honour) and vend (place). Like most Gheg dialects, the Upper Reka dialect has also retained the nasal vocalisation of vowels ā (often a schwa: in Standard Albanian) and ō, so that words like dhëmb (tooth), dhëndër (groom) and këmb (foot) are pronounced as dhāmb, dhōndr and kōmb. The sound a (often a schwa: in Standard Albanian) in words like baballak is also substituted at times for (i.e. baballoku) when in definite form.. The sound cluster in words like (beard) and (honey) has evolved into a sound in Upper Reka, causing articulations of mnjekrr and mnjalt. Also the sound which in most Albanian dialects is pronounced as a glottal fricative, is realized as a guttural "hard" in Upper Reka..
Kinship Terminology EnglishStandard MacedonianStandard Albanian.Upper Reka Albanian (Doda, 1900s).Upper Reka Albanian (Mirčevska, 2000s).Mother (definite: ), FatherSister(referred to by individual's name)Brother (usage: )Grandmother (also: )Grandfather (also: )Aunty (Mother's sister) (also: , ) (usage: )Aunt's husband (Mother's side) / (usage: )Uncle (Father's brother) (also: ) (definite: ) (usage: )Uncle's wife (Father's side) (usage: ) Uncle (Mother's brother) (definite: ) (usage: )Uncle's wife (Mother's side) (usage: )Husband's sister (Sister-in-law)? / (usage: )Brother-in-law Sister-in-law /Wife's sister's husband /Wife's brother, (Brother-in-law)? /Cousin (definite: )Father in Law / (usage: )Godparents (also: and ) /In law (male) In law (female) /
Morphology and Syntax The Upper Reka dialect uses do to create its future tense, as do most Tosk dialects as well as certain other Gheg dialects, including all of Southern Gheg (i.e. Tirana and Elbasan dialects), the Northwestern Gheg dialect of Shkreli, the Northeastern Gheg dialects of the Has and Luma regions, and the Northern Gheg of Mirdita..
Education and Literature
The earliest known example of the Upper Reka dialect being employed in writing is from an Orthodox graveyard headstone inscription written in Cyrillic script at Duf which dates from 1889.. "Shqiptarët ortodoksë të Rekës së Epërme e praktikonin gjuhën e tyre amtare shqipe jo vetëm në të folurën e tyre të përditshme, në shërbesat kishtare, por dhe në mbishkrimet mbivarrore. Një mbishkrim varri, i shkruar në gjuhën shqipe me alfabet cirilik nga viti 1889, ka zbuluar historiani M. S. Filipović (1969), për një tregtar kafshësh Andçe, të birin e Dukos nga Dufi, që rroi 75 vjet e vdiq natyrshëm më 1889 në Tetovë dhe u varros aty në varrezat ortodokse. Në mbishkrimin mbivarror janë gdhendur këto fjalë shqipe të shkruara me alfabet cirilik: Kьтy ньн kьт рacь tьфтoфyн, aрmooть eнe kaлбeть tрõпи e /!/; Aндчeecc бири дõkocь џeлeп прeд Дõфить; a и ђõть пoи kьидoнь лeть θoть нилжe /?/ Зoть; poити Џaль: 75: вьь вдич 1889: moi aпpиьл: нь шe`ep Tetoв (Stanišić 1991; Hysa 2009, 122). Këtu është skalitur gjuha vernakulare e Rekës së Epërme: