Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/333

ALBANIAN LANGUAGE. forms one of the eight chief divisions of the Indo-Germanic hinguagcs (q.v. ), and is a de- scendant of the ancient Illyrian, of which only a few words are preserved. On account of the large number of Greek loan-words in its vocabu- lary, the Albanian was formerly thought to be- long to the Hellenic branch of dialects; but it is now known to be quite independent, and to form a branch by itself, akin rather to the Slavic fam- ily than to the Greek group. Geographically, the language is not confined to Albania alone, but may be traced also in southern Italy and Sicily. Two main dialect-groups of the language may be distinguished. The northern class, called Gegish, is the more primitive, while the southern, or Toskish, is permeated with loan-words. Of all the languages of the Indo-Germanic group, Al- banian has been the most changed in vocabulary by borrowed words, although it has preserved in the main its structure. The vocabulary of loan-words is chiefly Latin, augmented by Slavic and Greek accretions, and, in Gegish especially, by numerous Turkish words. In point of literary culture Albanian is the most backward of all the Indo-Germanic languages, and it can scarcely be said to possess a literature. While rich in folk-songs, tales, and proverbs, it is only within a comparatively short time that any systematic endeavor has been made to cultivate the literary potentialities of the people. In the Gegish dia- lects the alphabet usually employed is the Ro- man, with certain modifications, while the Toskish adopts the Greek letters with some slight changes. Consult: Pisko, Kurzgefasstes Hand- buch der nordalbanesischen Sprachen (Vienna, 1896); Dozon, Manuel de la langue chkipe ou Albanaise (Paris, 1878); G. Meyer, Kurzgefasste albanesische Grammatik (Leipzig, 1888); Ety- mologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache (Strassburg, 1891); Pedersen, Albanesische Texte (Leipzig, 1895).

ALBAN (ril'b«n) MOUN'TAINS. A group of volcanic mountains in central Italy, 13 miles southeast of Rome, with several extinct craters, two of which are occupied by sombre Lake Al- bano and beautiful Lake Nemi (Map: Italj-, G 6), The central crater terminates in Punta Faette and in Monte Cavo, 3145 feet above the sea, on which stood the temple of Jupiter Lati- aris. where the sacrificial festival of the Feria; Latinoe was celebrated annually. The scanty ruins of the temple disappeared about 1777, when Cardinal York, the last of the Stuarts, built on the spot a Passionist monastery. From here there is a splendid view of the sea, the Cam- pagna. and the surrounding mountains. The beauty of the scenery and the agreeableness of the climate have made the Alban Mountains a favor- ite summer resort of the Romans from the most ancient times. Places that are worthy of a visit by the tourist are Frascati (q.v.), Albano, Grotta Ferrata, Marino, Castel Gandolfo (q.v.), and Rocco di Papa. The site of Alba Longa (q.v.), Rome's mother city, was on the east side of Lake Albano.

ALBANO, al-bil'no. A town of Italy, about 18 miles from Rome, on the declivity of the lava-walls which encompass Lake Albano (Map: Italy, G 6), It is the seat of a bishop, has about 7000 inhabitants, and is surrounded by hand- some mansions of the wealthier Romans. It is on the opposite side of the lake from the site of Alba Longa, and owed its origin to the villas of ancient Roman magnates, such as Pompey, Domi- tian, and Clodius, A valuable wine is produced in the environs. Near the town, on the old Ap- pian Way, are found the remains of an amphi- theatre and ancient tombs. The Alban Lake, or Lago di Castello, is formed in the basin of an ex- tinct volcano, has a circumference of 6 miles, with a depth of about 350 feet. Its elevation is nearly 1000 feet above the sea level. Ancient writers say that, while the Romans were at war with the Veientes (398 B.C.), this lake rose to an extra- ordinary height in the heat of summer. Etruscan diviners declared that the conquest of Veil de- pended upon letting off the waters of the lake. Stimulated by this, the Romans, under the direc- tion of the Etruscans, opened an emissary or tunnel through the lava-wall on the northwest. In the execution of this work they acquired the art of mining, which they now applied to under- mine the walls of Veii. The tunnel, which still remains, and still fulfills its ancient office, is more than a mile in length, with a height of 7 feet and a width of 4 feet. On the eastern bank of the lake rises Monte Cavo, the ancient Alba- nus Mons, 3000 feet high, which commands an extensive and magnificent view. Upon its sum- mit once stood the magnificent temple of Jupiter Latiaris, which was approached by a paved way, for the ascent of the solemn processions of the Latin confederation (Feriæ Latinæ), and for the ovations of Roman generals. The road re- mains, in great part, perfect to this day. The Albano stone, called peperino, was much used in Roman buildings. It is a kind of volcanic tufa, of an ash-color, and is still quarried extensively at Albano.

ALBANO. A lake in Italy, near the town of the same name (ilap: Italy. G (1). It is situ- ated in the crater of an extinct volcano, at an elevation of 970 feet above the sea. Its only outlet is a tunnel built by the Romans during the siege of Veil in the fourth century B.C. The lake is about 1000 feet deep, full of fish, and famous for its beautiful scenery. On the eastern shore of the lake rises Monte Cavo, or Albano, 3000 feet above the sea, with the ruins of the temple of Jupiter Latiaris on its summit.

ALBANS, al'banz, St. See St. Albans.

ALBANY,. A fortified seaport and municipality of Plantagenet Co., West Australia, on King George's Sound, 362 miles southeast by south of Perth by rail (Map:, B 5). It is noted for its fine harbor, is a station and port of call for the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers, and is also a coaling depot. The United States has a resident consular agent. Pop., 3000. ALBANY. Capital of New York State, and county seat of Albany Co., and an important railroad and commercial city. It is on the west bank of the Hudson River, nearly six miles below the head of navigation, 145 miles north of New York City and about 200 miles west of Boston (Map:, G 3).

A narrow alluvial plain extends along the river, and from this the ground rises sharply to a sandy plateau about two hundred feet above tide level, with valleys separating the four ridges into which the slope is divided. The principal streets are Broadway, and North and South Pearl streets, which run parallel to the river, and State Street, which runs westward, ascending the face of the hill at a very steep grade. The