Well-known linguist Bahar Beci, who was a member of the Academy of Sciences and an external member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, has passed away at the age of 86. 

This was announced by the Presidency of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, where it expresses condolences to his family and friends. 

Academician Bahri Beci has been a personality with multiple activities in several fields of historical and contemporary Albanian linguistics for more than six decades; author of dozens of monographic and study works in the field of dialectology, phonetics, grammar, the path of the formation of unified Albanian, the history of the Albanian language and its status in the Balkan linguistic connection. 

Bahri Beci was born in Shkodër in 1936, in a family with patriotic traditions.  

Immediately after finishing his university studies (1958), he was appointed a scientific researcher at the Institute of Linguistics and Literature, where he performed important management duties, as department head and project manager, scientific secretary and director. 

In order to train a new generation of researchers, Bahri Beci was sent for specialization in Paris, where he defended his doctorate with the topic Le système vocalique et consonantique du parler de la ville du Shkodra/ "The voice and consonant system of the speech of the city of Shkodra.  

Then, upon returning to Tirana, he completed his first degree dissertation with the study "Central Georgian Dialects" and his second degree dissertation with the study Northwest Albanian Dialects and the Phonetic System of the Shkodra Speech. 

Bahri Beci's university activity extends to several countries, including the Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris INALCO. Bahri Beci is a member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania (2008) and an external member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo and the editorial board of Atlas Linguorum Europae (ALE). 

The main field of Bahri Beci's scientific-research activity has been the history of dialects and sub-dialects of Albanian. Within this problem, the dialectological studies for the north-western and central dialects of Albanian (Shkodër, Dibër) took a central place. 

Bahri Beci participated as a delegate and signatory of the Resolution of the Orthography Congress (1972) and is the author of two monographic studies on the unifying processes in the formation of today's literary Albanian.  

As a researcher in Balkan linguistics, Bahri Beci has left his mark with his contributions to the position of Albanian in the inter-Balkan linguistic connection. 

Bahri Beci synthesized the achievements of his work in normative works. Bahri Beci's scientific work is characterized by the synergy of the researcher in the research expedition and at the same time in a deep contemporary Western formation process. 

Farewell tributes to academician Bahri Beci will be held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, from 09.00-11.30, at the Academy of Sciences, "Aleks Buda" hall, and at 12.00 the funeral will be held.