Slavonic and Greek Traces in the Toponymy of the Region of Vlora, Southern Albania

Abstract

As toponyms reflect the life of an area, they deserve special attention while studying the history of that area. The region of Vlora, particularly the area called Labëria, because of its highly varied terrain, is extremely rich in place names, which possess multifaceted values with respect to naming, word formation and lexicology at large. The present study on the Vlora region toponyms focuses on the place names that contain Slavic and Greek elements in their structure. The study material is, basically, from the research of various authors, mostly Albanian. The bulk of the toponyms used here have been collected in field studies, while working with elderly local people and shepherds of the respective zones, who provided us with material of great interest in this domain. The study has cognitive and scientific values and bears witness to the early contacts between peoples. It attempts to further complete and enrich the toponymy of the Vlora region. The collection and systematization of the toponymy of different areas of the region would also be of interest in compiling a toponomastic dictionary in this field of study.