Hand in Hand: A Comparative View on the Use of the Word ‘Hand’ in Albanian and English Language
Hand in Hand: A Comparative View on the Use of the Word ‘Hand’ in Albanian and English Language

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to explore the interrelationship between language and culture. The current study attempts to show that even words that seem to be internationally used open up entire webs of meaning and cultural insights. We have selected the word ‘hand’ and have explored its usage in Albanian vs. English. To find out examples, we have relied on Albanian National Corpora (ANC) and Corpus of Contemporary English Language (COCA). In the first part of the paper, we introduce information about the corpora selected, literature review, and methodology of the study. The second and third part of the paper bring illustrative examples from the versatile uses of the word ‘dorë’ and ‘hand’ in both languages. Special care has been taken to compile a list of purposes of the use of ‘dorë’ especially for the Albanian language, with the aim of illustrating the way Albanian culture is reflected in the Albanian language, based on the examples extracted from ANC. The methodology of the current study is mainly a qualitative one, therefore few statistical data are given. The innovativeness of this study relates to the use of ANC, an area not yet known and explored by scholars, as well as to the comparison of findings with the use of the same word in COCA for the English language. We aim to extend the current study in the future by including examples from other corpora of Balkan languages and make relevant comparisons. Thus, the current study will serve as a starting point for further research that will exemplify similar cognitive patterns that English and the Balkan languages and cultures share.

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