A TRAVEL NARRATIVE BY GUSTAV MEYER

Irini Dibra

Abstract


The journey in literature symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge, personal development and confrontation with the unknown—a theme that remains relevant across all literary periods. This study examines travel writing as a genre that intertwines scientific reporting with personal experience, emphasizing the importance of reliability in modern scholarly journeys. In this context, the work of the linguist Gustav Meyer is analyzed, presenting him not only as a philologist but also as a travel writer with poetic sensitivity. The text represents a form of autobiographical travel narrative in which literary description is combined with ethnographic and linguistic field research in an Arbëreshë community in Italy. The study highlights Meyer’s contribution to the analysis of sociolinguistic dynamics within the Albanian diaspora, the development of comparative linguistic methods, and the documentation of dialects and vocabulary. It also underscores the significance of such journeys for understanding the preservation of national identity across centuries.

Keywords


philologist, travel writing, ethnographic, vocabulary, Arbëreshë

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v10i2.700

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