UNIverse - Public Research Portal

Projects & Collaborations

2 found

Show per page

Project cover

The Albanian Language in Antiquity

Research Project | 4 Project Members

Within the Indo-European language family, to which most of the languages of Europe belong, Albanian forms a branch of its own. Along with Greek and the Romance languages, Albanian is the only direct descendant of those languages spoken in the Balkans in ancient times. Content and aim of the research project Albanian has only been known from written sources since the 16th century AD. Therefore, we do not know exactly what the language looked like in ancient times and in the early Middle Ages. It is also disputed in which region of the Balkans the precursor of Albanian, called Proto-Albanian, was spoken. Our project tries to find an answer to the questions of what the precursor of the Albanian language looked like between 1500 and 2000 years ago, and where this precursor was spoken. This can only be answered indirectly. The linguistic-historical comparison of words and the grammar of Albanian with other related languages allows certain conclusions about the earlier linguistic state of Albanian. In addition, the project is investigating the extensive ancient Greek and Latin vocabulary that Proto-Albanian borrowed, as well as the Proto-Albanian words that were incorporated into early Romanian. This will also allow us to determine the shape of Proto-Albanian more precisely. Scientific and social context The project aims first and foremost at the linguistic and cultural history of Albanian. The results will also be relevant for Greek, Latin, Romance and Indo-European linguistics. Furthermore, our results will contribute to a more balanced linguistic and cultural history of the Balkan Peninsula.

Project cover

NOMAD – Naher Osten, Mesopotamien, Ägypten im Diskurs

Research Networks of the University of Basel | 18 Project Members

Das universitäre Forschungsnetzwerk «NOMAD – Naher Osten, Mesopotamien, Ägypten im Diskurs» vernetzt Forschungen zum östlichen Mittelmeerraum, Mesopotamien und Ägypten an der Universität Basel und fördert den Austausch mit der Öffentlichkeit. Im westasiatischen Raum (ca. 10. Jt.v.u.Z. bis 7.Jh.u.Z.) entstanden sesshafte Lebensweisen, Ackerbau, Viehzucht, urbanes Leben, Schriftsysteme, Industrien und Wissenschaften sowie die religiösen Traditionen von Judentum, Christentum und Islam. Ohne Berücksichtigung der Geschichte Westasiens lassen sich relevante Prozesse der Weltgeschichte nicht verstehen. Themen aus dem Bereich des Nahen Osten sind seit Jahrzehnten in Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft relevant, national und international omnipräsent und werden es weiterhin bleiben.
In der Region Basel setzen sich zahlreiche Forschende und Institutionen mit Kulturen, Zeiten, Regionen, Religionen und Sprachen des Nahen Ostens, Mesopotamiens und Ägyptens auseinander. NOMAD hat zum Ziel, diese Kompetenzen und Angebote zu bündeln. NOMAD fördert den für Wissenschaft wie Öffentlichkeit wichtigen Austausch über kulturhistorische, aktuelle und fachübergreifende Themen zwischen (Nachwuchs-)Forschenden, Studierenden und der breiteren Öffentlichkeit.
Am Forschungsnetzwerk beteiligt sind Forschende der Theologischen Fakultät, des Departements Altertumswissenschaften, der Nahoststudien, des Zentrums für Jüdische Studien und der Integrativen Prähistorischen und Naturwissenschaftlichen Archäologie (IPNA) der Universität Basel sowie das Antikenmuseum Basel.

The university research network «NOMAD – Near East, Mesopotamia, Egypt in Discourse» connects research at the University of Basel focused on the Eastern Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, and promotes dialogue with the public. In West Asia (approx. 10th millennium BCE to 7th century CE), key developments emerged, including settled ways of life, agriculture, animal husbandry, urbanization, writing systems, industries and sciences, as well as the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Understanding major processes in world history is impossible without considering the history of West Asia. Topics related to the Near East have long played a crucial role in politics, economics, and society – both nationally and internationally – and will continue to do so.
In the Basel region, numerous researchers and institutions engage with the cultures, periods, regions, religions, and languages of the Near East, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. NOMAD aims to bring together these areas of expertise and offerings. The network fosters interdisciplinary exchange on cultural-historical, contemporary, and academic topics among (early-career) researchers, students, and the wider public – an exchange essential to both scholarship and society.
The research network includes researchers from the Faculty of Theology, the Department of Ancient Civilizations, Near and Middle Eastern Studies, the Center for Jewish Studies, the Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science (IPAS) at the University of Basel, and the Antikenmuseum Basel.