5,000,000 SPEAKERS Albania, Yugoslavia, Italy, Greece Albanian forms a separate branch of the INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGES , quite distinct in its development from Greek and its other modern neighbours. It is the official language of Albania, also spoken by the majority in the Kosovo Metohija province of Serbia and by long-established minorities in Italy and Greece. The local name of Albania is Shqipëria and of the language Shqip . An ancient term for a tribe from this region, classical Latin Albani , still survives in the name that the Albanian speakers of Italy give to themselves, Arbëresh; in the Greek name, Arvanítis; and in the Balkan names, such as Romanian Arnǎut . As Albania it has become the English and international name for the country and its language. Where, exactly, were the speakers of Albanian during the thousands of years that have passed since the proto-Indo-European dialects began to grow apart? Names and a few other words from languages of the ancient Balkans had been…