Şemseddin Sami Frashëri

Sami Frashëri (Turkish: Şemseddin Sami Bey, born June 1, 1850, Frashër,Kolonje, Albania – June 18, 1904) was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a prominent figure of the "Rilindja Kombëtare", the National Renaissance movement of Albania, together with his two brothers Naim and Abdyl.

Frashëri was one of the sons of an impoverished Bey from Frashër in the District of Përmet. He gained a place in Ottoman literature as a talented author under the name of Şemseddin Sami Efendi and contributed to the Turkish language reforms.

However, Frashëri's message, as declared in his book "Albania - What it was, what it is, and what will become of it" published in 1899, became the manifesto of the Albanian Renaissance (Rilindja Kombëtare). Frashëri discussed the prospects for a free and independent republic of Albania. In this way, beginning with a demand for autonomy and struggle for their own alphabet and education, he helped the Albanian National Liberation movement develop its claim for independence.

Life

He finished gymnasium in "Zosimea" Greek language school in Ioannina. There, he came in touch with west philosophy and studied languages like Greek, French and Italian. With the help of a personal teacher, he also learned Arabic, Turkish and Persian.

In 1872 he migrated to Istanbul where he worked in governmental press bureau. His lifetime goal, as that of many other members of Albanian renaissance, was the development and improvement of Albania's culture and independence of the country. Along with his elder brother Abdyl, Hasan Tahsini, Pashko Vasa and Jani Vreto, he founded the "Central Committee for the Protection of National Albanian Rights". Early in the 1879, this committee prefermented a commission for Albanian alphabet. Also, the "Society for the Publication of Albanian Writings" was founded and headed by Sami Frashëri, where Albanian scholastic books and texts were compiled by him and his brother Naim.

He died in June 18, 1904 after a severe illness at his home in Erenköy, Istanbul.

Work

Sami is author of around 50 masterpieces. Some of his most important writings are:

Novel

* "Ta'aşşûk-ı Tal'at ve Fitnât" ("Albanian": Dashuria e Talatit me Fitneten -"English": The Love Between Talat and Fitnat, 1873)

The story carries a sentimental subject of love between Talat and Fitnat. Generally, the novel consists of a combination of Oriental and Western writing styles. Also, this novel is commonly mistaken to be the first novel written in Turkish. [In reality, the first novel written entirely in Turkish was "Akabi's Story" by Vartan Paşa, an Armenian Ottoman Pasha in the year 1851]

Drama

* "Besâ yâhut Âhde Vefâ" ("Albanian": "Besa ose Mbajtja e Fjalës" - "English": Besa or The Given Word of Trust, 1874).Is a melodrama aiming "Besa" as a subject, but in a very tragic situation; the father kills his son to keep the given word.

* "Seydi Yahya" (1875)

* "Gâve" (1876)

* "Mezalim-i Endülûs" (Never printed)

* "Vicdân" (Never printed)

Dictionaries and Encyclopedical Works

* "Kamûs-ı Fransevî" (1882-1905, French-Turkish dictionary)
* "Kamûs-ı Fransevî" (1885, French-Turkish dictionary)

* "Küçük Kamûs-ı Fransevî" (1886, French-Turkish dictionary)

* "Kamûs-ül Â'lâm" (6 volumes, 1889-1898, Encyclopedia of General Science, known to be the first Encyclopedia printed in Turkish)

* "Kamûs-ı 'Arabî" (1898, Arabic-Turkish dictionary, unfinished)
* "Kamus-ı Türki" (2 volumes, dictionary of the Classical Ottoman Turkish language, still widely used as a reference as of today, 1899-1900, reprints and facsimiles in 1978 and 1998)

Şemseddin Sami also did a series of scientific writings in Albanian such as "Qielli" (Sky), "Toka" (Earth), "Njeriu" (Human Being), "Gjuha" (Language), and many more.

In Albanian, his educational writings were:
*"Allfabetarja e Stambollit" (Alphabet of Istanbul, 1879),

*"Abetarja e Shkronjëtoreja" (Grammatical Work, 1886).

Also in Turkish, in his "Pocket Library" collection, he published small scientific booklets on subjects as Astronomy, Geology, Anthropology, History of Islam and the Islamic Civilization, Women, Mythology and Linguistics. He also published a small compilation of Humor named "Letâ'if" in two volumes, a compilation of Proverbs and Quotes named "Emsâl" in four volumes, and a series of reading-oriented educational books for schoolchildren.

Linguistics

* "Usûl-ü Tenkîd ve Tertîb" (1886, Orthography of Turkish)

* "Nev'usûl Sarf-ı Türkî" (1891, Modern Turkish Grammar)
* "Yeñi Usûl-ü Elifbâ-yı Türkî" (1898, New Turkish Alphabetical System))

* "Usûl-ü Cedîd-i Kavâ'id-i 'Arabiyye" (1910, New Method for Learning Arabic)

* "Tatbîkât-ı 'Arabiyye" (1911, Exercises in Arabic)

Political Work

* "Shqipëria ç'ka qenë, ç'është e çdo të bëhetë" (Albania - what it was, what it is and what it is going be, 1889).Theoretical commentary that became "Rilindja Kombëtare"'s manifesto and was considered as one of the most important works of the time.

Footnotes

References

* "Letërsia Romantike Shqiptare - Për klasën e njëmbëdhjetë" (Albanian Romantic Literature - For eleventh class), Pristina, 2004 – Sabri Hamiti.