Why do Albanians call Kosovo 'Kosova' and not Dardania?

Question

Danaghasta I'm not Albanian.

I've heard the area that is Kosovo/a refered to as Dardania a few times..

I'm just curious as to why it is called Kosova on Albanian as it is very obvious that the name derives from the Serbian 'Kosovo i Metohija'.
and wondered why their isn't a completly Albanian name because for example neighbouring Montenegro is called 'Mali i Zi'.

Answer 1

Dardania is the Ancient Illyrian name for the region. It appears to be related to the Albanian word for pear tree " dardhë " and may have meant "The land of pear trees." The Greeks and Romans used this name. Some Latin scholars as late as the 17th century did too.

However, is not unusual for people to forget the original names of their territories and adopt new ones. For example, Brittany (in western France) was called "Armorica" (meaning "Land by the sea" ) by the ancient Gauls and Romans and even by the early Irish Christian missionaries. Modern Romania and Moldavia were known as "Dacia" and "Scythia Minor" to the Romans. They were known as "Wallachia" and "Besarabia" to 16th century Romanians and even the to the Elizabethan English, but all forgotten now.

Answer 2

It is NOT true or obvious that it comes from the Serbian roots.
There are significant amount of evidence that "Kosova" is derived from Turkish.
In Serbian "Kos" means "blackbird" and "Kosovo" refers to "the blackbird field".
In Turkish "Kuş" means "bird" and "ova" means "plain/field". Thus Kosova derives from Kuş-ova, meaning "Bird Field".

Albanians have been using the Turkish origin words like the rest of the Islamic world. The word "Kos" is also probably of Turkish origin This is probably because Serbian itself has grabbed thousands of Turkish words in it, especially in geaography and cuisine. This is obvious as Kosovo alone does not have a meaning in Serbian while Kosova is meaningful in Albanian (Bird field).

Answer 3

Brennus has explained what I was going to explain in very fine detail. He did a better job than i would ever. Let me also add that all the Slavic names of a lot of regions,cities, and villages from the area stem from the Czar Samoil's invasion. This is the period were a lot of them were actually founded and settled(cities and villages).

Now as we all know history has been written by the winners and Albanians really never had a chance in the Balkans to shine. It was not because were weak or less strong, no that was not the case. It was because we were and still remain a group of hospitable people. They came the hordes of Slavs, into our territory and we welcomed them as guest, we gave them shelter, food, protection, and let them live in the our lands in the valleys below our mountains. The Illyrians were mountain men that prefered the mountain ways. Guests eventually turned into invaders.

Do you know that Albanian tradition protects the guest more anything? In the KANUNI I LEK Dukagjinit it states "An Albanian home belongs to the guest and god". An enemy can come to your home in the Albanian tradition and you need to afford him the same protection as you would a relative, provide him with food, shelter, a place to sleep if he decides to spend the night, and afterwards walk him a good distance (for protection), then shake his hand and hope you find him somewhere else so can settle the score with him. If he is killed while in your presence then his killer becomes involved in a blood feud with you ( It sounds harsh all these words enemies, blood fueds, and killers but they was no need for a police force and most people lived their lives the way they were suppose to without incident).

It matters not what we call KOSOVA, YOU SAY PATATO, I SAY POTATO it is what it is. 90% Albanian.

OOZZ- do not worry ever. I will never let you down. You hold your front I will mine.LOL.

Answer 4

I honestly thought that "Kosova" was the proper way of saying it. I doubt any news references would even remotely include the term "Dardania." I've yet to encounter it on the wires, or anywhere for that matter. You're the first person I've ever heard use it, really.

Answer 5

Its easier for them to pronounce

Answer 6

Yo, Vinny, She's calling you out, bro.
ANSWER HER !!!

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ADDED
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LOL, sorry man.

I kinda got the feeling she asked this question 'cause of your posts, THAT'S WHY I WROTE THIS. I thought it would be better that she heard it from you.

[ I knew the answer ;-) ]

Answer 7

kosovo je nase i uvek je bilo,i Albanci ga nece dobiti,ja nemam nista protiv nikoga ali cisto da se zna KOSOVO JE SRCE SRBIJE!!!

KOSOVO IS HEART OF SERBIA!!!!!

Answer 8

cuz dey stupid like dat