Frequently asked questions

1.	How many entries does this dictionary have? How accurate is it?
2.	Are you making any money from these pages?
3.	How do you choose the words that you add to the dictionary?
4.	What references do you use?
5.	I looked for the Albanian word "fjalori" in the dictionary. Why can't I find it?
6.	I looked for the Albanian word "punoja" in the dictionary. Why can't I find it?
7.	I searched for the Albanian word "vajze". Why is it not in the dictionary?
8.	I searched for the Albanian word "i huaj". Why is it not in the dictionary?
9.	I searched for the word "çekiq". Why is it not in the dictionary?
10.	I searched for the Albanian word "mramje"? Why is it not in the dictionary?

How many entries does this dictionary have? How accurate is it?

18700 entries as of October 10, 2007. ACCURACY IS NOT GUARANTEED!

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Are you making any money from these pages?

No. I do not get paid for this work. This page is my modest contribution to the community. Please consider setting up and maintaining a similar page for another language. If you have questions about this, please contact me by email.

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How do you choose the words that you add to the dictionary?

I add to the dictionary those words that the users have not been able to find. Whenever a user cannot find a word in the dictionary, that word is automatically added to a special file that I check regularly, time permitting. The dictionary is always being expanded with words that are requested by users. Starting from December 2003, when a user cannot find what he or she is looking for in the dictionary, that user is given a chance to add the word (and the translation, if known) to a special file that I check regularly.

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What references do you use?

I consult the online Merriam Webster dictionary whenever I am not quite sure of the meaning(s) of an English word. Albanian is my native language.

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I looked for the Albanian word "fjalori" in the dictionary. Why can't I find it?

In Albanian and in other European languages, nouns change their spelling and pronunciation according to the context -- this is called "declension". In order to make this dictionary work, you have to type the Albanian nouns in the singular indefinite nominative. In this case, you should type "fjalor" instead of "fjalori". Luckily, the declension often affects only the ending of a noun. Therefore, it makes sense to remove a few letters from the ending of the word and then conduct a new search for the word fragment. For instance, try searching for "vajz" with the option "Word Patterns" selected. You may also use the "Approximate" option.

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I looked for the Albanian word "punoja" in the dictionary. Why can't I find it?

In Albanian and in other European languages, verbs -- just like nouns -- change their spelling and pronunciation according to the context -- this is called "conjugation". In order to make this dictionary work, you have to type the Albanian verbs in the first person singular of the present tense, indicative mood. In this case, you should type "punoj" instead of "punoja". Luckily, the conjugation often affects only the ending of a given verb. Therefore, it makes sense to remove a few letters from the ending of the word and then conduct a new search for the word fragment. Also see question 5 above.

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I searched for the Albanian word "vajze". Why is it not in the dictionary?

Search for "vajzë". Make sure that you put the dots above the "e" when appropriate. Albanian has two special characters, "ë" and "ç". There are two buttons on the right of the search box that help you add these special characters when needed.

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I searched for the Albanian word "i huaj". Why is it not in the dictionary?

Search for "huaj". You should omit "i" and "e" from the adjectives when you search for them.

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I searched for the word "çekiq". Why is it not in the dictionary?

The correct spelling is "çekiç". Gheg writers, especially those from Kosova, sometimes use "q" and "ç" interchangably. Try replacing "q" with "ç" whenever in doubt.

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I searched for the Albanian word "mramje". Why is it not in the dictionary?

This is a very common pronunciation and spelling in the northern Gheg dialect for the word that is otherwise known as "mbrëmje". For better or worse, it is beyond the scope of these pages to deal with the many Gheg or Tosk spellings/pronunciations which are different from the known standard.

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