TIRANA, July 1 – Albanian humanist Frang Bardhi passed away on July 1, 1643. He was a lexicographer, historian, folklorist, ethnographer and senior Catholic cleric. Bardhi was born in 1606 in Kallmet, Zadrima. He completed his studies at the religious college in Loreto, Italy, in 1628. He later earned a doctorate in theology from the Urban College Propaganda Fide in 1633.
In 1635, Bardhi published the first Albanian dictionary, Dictionarum latino-epiroticum (Latin-Albanian Dictionary). In its preface, he explained that the work aimed to assist his compatriots while promoting the development of the Albanian language.
A year later, he published Apologji e Skënderbeut (The Apology of Skanderbeg) in Venice. The work engaged with a claim by a Slavic priest regarding George Kastrioti Skënderbeg and his origins.
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