The formations of the verbs, the plurals, and the declensions are the main guides to the identification of a language.
The study of philology is an intensely interesting one, and while it is very difficult, its pleasures are easily within the reach of every young scholar who is beginning the study of Latin, French, and German.
Our own English language is one of the most interesting with which to begin the study.
The ancient Britons were Celts, and spoke Celtic; when they were conquered by the Romans, Latin words crept into the tongue; and as Romans gave place to the Saxons, and the Saxons to the Danes, words from the German and Norse tongues were added to the language. Finally, came the Norman Conquest, and with it a flood of French words. The English we speak to-day is a mixture of Celtic, Latin, Saxon, Danish, and French.
As you learn your foreign languages you will be interested to find how many Latin words and forms you are using every day; and as for German and French, there are so many words in these languages resembling our own that you are constantly meeting old friends in the course of your new studies.
For instance:
| English. | French. | English. | German. |
| Papa | Papa | Father | Vater |
| Mamma | Maman | Mother | Mutter |
| Table | Table | Brother | Bruder |
| Chair | Chaise | Sister | Schwester |
| Boot | Bottine | Hat | Hut |
Some of these words have a common Latin root. The word "table," for instance, is derived from the Latin word "tabula."
If the Albanians do indeed speak a tongue that cannot be closely connected with any of the known languages, it is more than probable that they are a remnant of some ancient and world-forgotten people.
Albania is under Turkish rule, but the Albanians do not seem a very pleasant people to govern.