Arnaut

Arnaut (Ottoman Turkish: ارناود; modern Turkish: Arnavut) is an ethnonym and exonym used to denote Albanians. Derived from the Byzantine Greek Arvanitis, it was used primarily during the Ottoman era to identify ethnic Albanians in official state records, regardless of their religious affiliation. The corresponding geographical designation, Arnavudluk (آرناوودلق), encompassed Albanian-populated regions including present-day Albania, Kosovo, western North Macedonia, southern Serbia, southern Montenegro, and parts of northern Greece.

Historically, the term also acquired a specific military connotation, often used by Western Europeans, Romanians, and Egyptians to describe Albanian mercenaries and soldiers serving in the Ottoman army, such as guards in the Danubian Principalities or skirmishers under Muhammad Ali of Egypt. Over time, the term was borrowed into several other languages, including Arabic (Arnā'ūṭ), Balkan South Slavic languages, Romanian, and Ukrainian, referring to local Albanian diaspora communities, historic military units, or geographical locations.

Etymology

The ethnonym Arnaut is derived from Turkish Arnavut, obtained through metathesis (-van- to -nav-) of the Byzantine Greek ethnonym Ἀρβανίτης Arvanítis, "Albanian", which evolved from Ancient Greek Ἀλβανίτης (approx. "Albanítes", which in turn derived from Ἀλβανός Albanós), through the evolution of the sound "β" from /b/ in Ancient Greek to /v/ in Byzantine Greek. A related Greek term is Arvanites.

Usage

Ethnic marker

During the Ottoman era, the name was used for ethnic Albanians regardless of their religious affiliations, just like it is today.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, due to socio-political disturbances by some Albanians in the Balkans, the term was used as an ethnic marker for Albanians in addition to the usual millet religious terminology to identify people in Ottoman state records.