# arbën
## Albanian
### Alternative forms

* arbër — Standard Albanian
* arbër (Tosk)
* αρbε̰ρ (arbër) (Arvanitic)
* arbër (Arbëreshë)

### Etymology

* The term represents the name of a south Illyrian tribe attested in Ancient Greek (Ancient Greek Ἀλβανοί (Albanoí)), later on denoting a proper name for an ethnic Albanian until (around) the eighteenth century when it was replaced with Albanian shqiptar (see shqip). It is attributed directly to a Latin rendering of the tribal name Latin albanus by Orel.
* Observed since the 2nd century BC, the History of the World written by Polybius, mentions a location named Arbona Ancient Greek Ἄρβωνα (Árbōna), Latin Arbo in which some Illyrian troops, under Queen Teuta, scattered and fled to in order to escape the Romans. Arbona was perhaps an island in Liburnia or another location within Illyria.
* In the 6th century AD, Stephanus of Byzantium, in his important geographical dictionary entitled Ethnica (Ἐθνικά), mentions a city in Illyria called Arbon Ancient Greek Ἀρβών (Arbṓn), and gives an ethnic name for its inhabitants, in two singular number forms, i.e. Arbonios Ancient Greek Ἀρβώνιος (Arbṓnios) and Ancient Greek Ἀρβωνίτης (Arbōnítēs, “Arbonites”) pl. Ancient Greek Ἀρβωνῖται (Arbōnîtai, “Arbonitai”). He cites Polybius (as he does many other times Polybius' own attitude to Rome has been variously interpreted, pro-Roman, … frequently cited in reference works such as Stephanus' Ethnica and the Suda. in Ethnica).

### Noun

arbën m
* Albanian (of the Albanian nation)

#### Synonyms

* (Standard) shqiptar
* (Gheg) shqyptar
* (Arvanitic) Skipetár

#### Derived terms

* Arbëni (Gheg)
* Arbënia (Gheg)
* arbënesh (Gheg)
* arbënisht (Gheg)

#### Related terms

* (Standard) lab, Labëri, Labëria
* (Gheg) Labëni, Labënia
* (Standard) arbër, Arbëri, Arbëria, arbëresh, arbërisht
* (Gheg) Arbëni, Arbënia, arbënesh, arbënisht
* (Arvanitic) αρbε̰ρ (arbër), αρbε̰ρεσ̈ (arbëresh), αρbε̰ρίσ̈τ (arbërisht)

#### Descendants

* → Aromanian: arbines
* → Greek: αρβανός (arvanós)
** → Bulgarian: арбанаш (arbanaš)
*** → Romanian: arbănaș

#### References

* ↑ Orel, Vladimir (2000). Concise Albanian Grammar. Page 55.
* ↑ Polybius. "2.11.15". Histories. Of the Illyrian troops engaged in blockading Issa, those that belonged to Pharos were left unharmed, as a favour to Demetrius; while all the rest scattered and fled to Arbona.
* ↑ Polybius. "2.11.5". Histories (in Greek). εἰς τὸν Ἄρβωνα σκεδασθέντες.
* ↑ Strabo (1903). "2.5 Note 97". In H. C. Hamilton; W. Falconer (eds.). Geography. London: George Bell & Sons. The Libyrnides are the islands of Arbo, Pago, Isola Longa, Coronata, &c., which border the coasts of ancient Liburnia, now Murlaka
* ↑ Stephanus of Byzantium (1849). "Ἀρβών". Ethnika kat' epitomen (in Greek). Berolini : G. Reimeri. πόλις Ἰλλυρίας. Πολύβιος δευτέρᾳ. τὸ ἐθνικὸν Ἀρβώνιος καὶ Ἀρβωνίτης, ὡς Ἀντρώνιος καὶ Ἀσκαλωνίτης.
* ↑ Stephanus of Byzantium (1849). "Ἀρβών". Ethnika kat' epitomen (in Greek). Berolini : G. Reimeri. πόλις Ἰλλυρίας. Πολύβιος δευτέρᾳ. τὸ ἐθνικὸν Ἀρβώνιος καὶ Ἀρβωνίτης, ὡς Ἀντρώνιος καὶ Ἀσκαλωνίτης.
* ↑ Wilson, Nigel, ed. (2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. Routledge. p. 597. →ISBN.
* ↑ Richardson, J.S. (2004). Hispaniae: Spain and the Development of Roman Imperialism, 218-82 BC. Cambridge University Press. →ISBN. In four places, the lexicographer Stephanus of Byzantium refers to towns and ... Artemidorus as source, and in three of the four examples cites Polybius.
* ↑ "RESEARCHES IN GREECE, Part 1" (Chapter ROMAICO (greek) - ARVANETIC VOCABULARY), Page 296: Albanian = Skipetár, by William Martin Leake, year 1814
* ↑ Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, →ISBN, page 172, "...area, including Oaneum on a river Aratus, which controlled the route leading west to the kingdom of Gentius among the Labeates around Vlora (Valona) here is in real the Labeates not in Shkodra,this part these pieces of land are called again today Labëria (Labeati)."
* ↑ Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “arbën”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, pages 208-9