
Balkan Nomads Oral Material Annotated & Documented
The online publication BalkaNOMAD is dedicated to the pastoral cultures of the southern Balkan Peninsula and offers annotated documentation of a descriptive fieldwork in original languages (Aromanian, Albanian, Greek, Macedonian) and includes data from the FWF project "Terminology of mobile shepherds".


FWF project numbers:
PUD 5-G28
P 19406
The border triangle involving Albania, Greece and North Macedonia is characterized by high mountain ranges (Pindos, Grammos, Baba, Nemerçka) with several elevations exceeding 2,500 metres, as well as deep gorges, river valleys and polje. For the nomadic shepherd populations, the distant plains and the Adriatic, Ionic and Aegean coastlands are important supplementary landscapes. Even today, the climatic conditions and vegetation force a large part of the shepherd population towards a high degree of mobility. The mobile herdsmen of south-east Europe drove their herds over long distances up to 400 km in a few weeks between the high altitudes in summer and the lowlands in winter. The target group for the research was shepherds with an active knowledge of Aromanian, Greek, Albanian and/or Macedonian. The questionnaire aimed to obtain direct information about linguistic contact, language acquisition, assimilation and multilingualism. Texts with everyday language, biographical reports, legends, descriptions of migrations, equipment and processes could be collected.
List of researched villages and involved scientists
List of researched villages and involved scientists
List of researched villages and involved scientists
Albanian speakers
- [As.Z.] Asim Zeneli (Antigonë), Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Spiro Poci
- [Duk.T.] Dukaj, Tepelenë, Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Spiro Poci
- [Gjir.] Gjirokastër (Greek: Argyrokasto, Aromanian: Ljurokast), Albania, collected by Thede Kahl
- [Kol.] Kolonjë, Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Spiro Poci
- [Kuk.] Koukoura or Agia Anna, Greece, collected by Panagiota Politi
- [Lech.] Lechovo, Greece, collected by Thede Kahl and Doris Kyriazis
- [Liv.Al.] Livadhja (Greek: Livadia), Albania (Al. = Albanian answers), collected by Thede Kahl and Andreas Cyllok
- [Ming.] Mingull, Albania, collected by Spiro Poci
- [Niv.] Nivicë, Tepelenë, Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Spiro Poci
- [Pic.] Picar, Albania, collected by Thede Kahl
- [Shk.] Shkallë, Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Andreas Cyllok
Aromanian speakers
- [Këll.] Këllez, Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Spiro Poci
- [Mets.] Metsovo (Aromanian: Aminču, Amindžu), Greece, collected by Theofanis Dasoulas
- [Nest.Ar.] Nestorio (Nestrami), Greece (Ar. = Aromanian answers), collected by Andrey Sobolev
- [Palok.] Palokastër (Aromanian: Paliucast), Albania, collected by Thede Kahl and Aurela Kënaço
Greek speakers
- [Bul.] Bularat (Greek: Bouliarates), Albania, collected by Andreas Cyllok and Doris Kyriazis
- [Kan.] Kanali (Preveza district), Greece, collected by Thede Kahl
- [Lav.] Lavda (old: Vodentsko), collected by Doris Kyriazis
- [Liv.Gr.] Livadia (Albanian: Livadhja), Albania (Gr. = Greek answers), collected by Thede Kahl and Doris Kyriazis
- [Pram.] Pramanda, Greece, collected by Andreas Cyllok and Doris Kyriazis
- [Suli] Souli, Greece, collected by Thede Kahl, Andreas Cyllok and Doris Kyriazis
- [Tsep.] Tsepelovo, Greece, collected by Thede Kahl and Doris Kyriazis
Macedonian speakers
- [Gllob.] Glloboçeni (old: Gollomboç, Macedonian: Globočeni), Albania, collected by Andrey Sobolev
- [Nest.Sl.] Nestorio (old: Nestrami, Macedonian: Nestram) and Stena, Greece (Sl. = Macedonian answers), collected by Thede Kahl and Andrey Sobolev
- [Sid.] Sidirochori (Macedonian: Šesteovo, Šhestevo), Greece, collected by Thede Kahl and Andrey Sobolev
- [Trig.] Trigono (Macedonian. Oščima, Osšima), Greece, collected by Andrey Sobolev
- [Vërn.] Vërnik (Macedonian: Vrbnik, Greek: Varniki), Albania, collected by Andrey Sobolev