Eqrem Çabej | |
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| Born | (1908-08-06)6 August 1908 |
| Died | 13 August 1980(1980-08-13) (aged 72) Rome, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Linguist,Albanologist, academic |
| Years active | 1930–1980 |
| Known for | Albanian studies |
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Eqrem Çabej (Albanian pronunciation:[ˈɛcɾɛmtʃaˈbɛj]; 6 August 1908 – 13 August 1980) was anAlbanian historical linguist and scholar who, through the publication of numerous studies gained a reputation as a key expert in research onAlbanian language, literature,ethnology andlinguistics.
Eqrem Çabej was born inEskişehir,Hüdavendigâr vilayet and completed his elementary education inGjirokastër, southernAlbania, in 1921.[1] He then left Albania, at the age of 12, and moved toAustria to continue his studies: first in St. Pölten then inKlagenfurt (1923–26), where he obtained his bachelor's degree. He went to University first inGraz (1927) and later inVienna (1930–33). Attending lectures of renowned language scholars such asPaul Kretschmer, Karl Patsch,Nikolai Trubetzkoy, andNorbert Jokl, Çabej became interested in the historical development ofAlbanian language. Before returning to Albania at the end of 1933, he submitted, in the University of Vienna, theItaloalbanische Studien (Italo-Albanian Studies in English) as his doctoral dissertation.
Home after a 13-year absence, the 25-year-old Çabej returned to Albania and spent five years as a secondary school teacher in:Shkodra,Elbasan, Gjirokastër andTirana. After Albania's occupation byMussolini's Italy on 7 April 1939, he was sent away from Albania and confined to Rome, Italy. In 1942, he received an invitation to join the newly formed Institute of Albanian Studies, which he declined, and, in 1943, was offered the position of minister of education in the government headed by Prime MinisterRexhep Mitrovica which he refused also. Returning to Albania in the spring of 1944, he continued to work as a teacher and, in 1947, was appointed as a researcher in Instituti i Shkencavet (The Institute of Sciences) in Tirana, the precursor institution of theUniversity of Tirana. From 1952 to 1967, he served as a professor of the history ofAlbanian and historicalphonology. In 1972, he became a founding member ofAcademy of Sciences of Albania. He worked as a researcher at the Institute of Linguistics and Literature in Tirana until the end of his life.
Çabej died in a clinic in Rome, Italy, a week after his 72nd birthday.
Among Eqrem Çabej's numerous works dealing with Albanian and its history include:
His articles and monographs were collected into the 9-volumeStudime gjuhësore (Linguistic Studies).Pristina: 1976–1977. TheEqrem Çabej University in Gjirokastër is named in his honor.
