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Bekim Bejta (born June 11, 1970 in Mitrovicë, Kosova) is a Kosovar Albanian polyglot linguist, poet, translator, novelist and literary critic. His most important work in linguistics is probably The Solution to English Word-Stress. He has translated many novels and short stories from English and French into Albanian. Moreover, he recently translated several plays from William Shakespeare. He is recognized for his highly elegant prose and his prolific output.

Early life

Bejta was born into a refined environment. His mother is polyglot and is fluent in many Caucasian languages. His father Murat Bejta is a first-rank linguist having lectured in the prestigious French University Sorbonne (and also in other French universities like University of Poitiers, etc.).

He believes in Allah and he usually praises and thanks Allah in the preface of his books and in his poems; this is his most notable feature.

Push-ups world records

He broke eight push-ups world records. Those were two-handed push-ups world records (in 1 hour, and in 30 minutes), and single-handed push-ups world records (in 1 hour). His final records were 5471 (two-handed in one hour) and 3086 (single-handed in one hour). The newspapers La Nouvelle République and Centre Presse always had the exclusive coverage of these world records. He has battled with anemia since his early childhood. Doctors, quite often have stated that with his level of anemia, it was virtually impossible to become a top sportsman. Yet, against all the odds, he accomplished many astonishing feats in sport.

Karate

He always displayed extraordinary technique in karate. When he was 18 he was a multiple national champion, but afterwards he didn’t have the opportunity to participate in world championships because his country was not independent yet. In 2009, for the first time, he had the chance to take part in a karate world championship. He didn’t waist too much time as he became a WKA Karate World Champion in the under 75kg category, in Huelva, Spain, 1 November 2009. He had not participated in any karate competition for 18 years which makes this feat all the most incredible.

Studies

He obtained all of his university diplomas at the University of Poitiers. University of Poitiers is one of the most eminent and ancient universities in Europe (founded in 1431). Furthermore, for the past 30 years or so, the linguistic section of its English department includes many distinguished linguists. Some of his notable professors at this University were his master’s degree and Ph.D. mentor Michel Paillard (a renowned lexicologist), Jean-Louis Duchet (a famous phonologist), Paul Wass (a well-known syntactician), Jean Chuquet (an expert in enunciation theory). In interviews, he claims that these professors, partly, moulded his linguistic research and he is grateful to them for their priceless contributions towards his professional training. DIPLOMAS:

• Bachelor’s degree, 1994 (Poitiers, France)
• Master’s degree, 1996 (Poitiers, France)
• Post-graduate diploma taken before completing a Ph.D.1998 (Poitiers, France)
• Ph.D. 2002 (Poitiers, France), Doctoral Thesis:
• Morpho-Phonological Assimilation of French non-Naturalized Borrowings in English and its Lexicographical Treatment

Contributions to linguistics

Bejta’s initial speciality is linguistics. He started with publishing The Solution to English Word-Stress (2003). The counterpart of this book in French is his work L’Accentuation en anglais(2003). In 2007, he published, in Albanian, the work Gjuha dhe të folurit (Language and Speech). Recently, two linguistic books of his were published in Prishtina, Analyse phonologique des emprunts en anglais, (2009), and Naturalisation morpho-sémantique des xénismes an anglais (2009).

Poetry

His poetic masterpiece, the 2008 edition of Serenadë mëngjesi (Morningtide Serenade), consists of 91 poems arranged in ten sections of varying length. It must be asserted that the collection is not just an assortment but has "a beginning and an end," each poem disclosing its full purport only when read in relation to the others within the exclusive frame of reference in which it is placed. Some poems are distinctive in showing that symmetry is as likely to be daunting as it is to be magnificent. This enigmatic relationship is one that continues throughout the entire collection. The heady abatements of cognition and image convey the reader through and beyond those instants of elucidatory frailty which besiege readings so opulent in profuse intuitions. The outcome is a limpid opposition between two dimensions, "morningtide" (dawn and life) and the "afternoon" (death and afterlife).

Translations

He undertook the task of translating novels, poems, and short story collections because of the lack of good translations in Albanian language. Since then, he masterfully translated a dozen books from English and French.

Bibliography

Linguistic books

• The Solution to English Word-Stress, 2003, L`Harmattan, Paris, Torino, Budapest.
• L`accentuation en anglais, 2003, L`Harmattan, Paris, Torino.
• Gjuha dhe të folurit, 2007, Buzuku, Prishtinë.
• Analyse phonologique des emprunts en anglais, 2009, Buzuku, Prishtinë.
• Naturalisation morpho-sémantique des xénismes an anglais, 2009, Buzuku, Prishtinë.

Poetry

• Serenadë mëngjesi, (poezi), 2008, Buzuku, Prishtinë.

Translations

(From English into Albanian)

• Mjeshtërit e të jashtëzakonshmes, 2007, Buzuku, Prishtinë (translation of a short story collection: from English into Albanian) - Washington Irving, Ambrose Bierce, Edgar Allan Poe, William Hope Hodgson, Oscar Wilde, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Jack London.
• Novela anglo-amerikane të shekullit XX, 2007, Buzuku, Prishtinë (translation of a short story collection: from English into Albanian) - Graham Green, Roald Dahl, Katherine Mansfield, Jim Phelan, Osbert Sitwell, Elizabeth Taylor, W. Somerset Maugham, Mary Webb, Patricia Highsmith, O`Henry, Ray Bradbury, Truman Capote, Evelyn Waugh, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bernard Malamud.
• Novela moderne anglo-amerikane, 2008, Buzuku, Prishtinë (translation of a short story collection: from English into Albanian) - Iain Crichton Smith, H.-E. Bates, Mary Bowen, Truman Capote, Dylan Thomas, Saki, Liam O’Flaherty, Graham Greene, James Thurber, Ernest Hemingway, Ray Bradbury.
• John Updike, My Father’s Tears (Lotët e babait tim), Buzuku, 2009, Prishtinë.
• John Updike, Facing Nature (Përballë natyrës), 2009, Buzuku, Prishtinë.
• William Shakespeare, Coriolanus (Koriolani), 2009, Buzuku, Prishtinë.
• William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors (Komedia e lajthitjeve), 2009, Buzuku, Prishtinë.
• William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis (Venusi dhe Adonisi), 2009, Buzuku, Prishtinë.

(From French into Albanian)

• Pascale Roze, Le Chasseur Zéro, (Gjuajtësi zero), 2008, Buzuku, Prishtinë.
• J.M.G. Le Clézio, Raga, 2008, Buzuku, Prishtinë.

References

3. La Nouvelle République (du Centre Ouest), mercredi 13 mars 1996 – N: 15.631
4. La Nouvelle République (du Centre Ouest), samedi 16 mars 1996 – N: 15.634
5. La Nouvelle République (du Centre Ouest), mercredi 24 avril 1996 – N: 15.666
6. Centre Presse, mercredi 28 janvier 1998 – ISSN1144-4134 – N: 23
7. Centre Presse, vendredi 24 septembre 1999 – ISSN 1144-4134 – N: 222
8. Centre Presse, mercredi 3 mai 2000 – N: 103
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjLHomqYqzk&feature=related
10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiOJUc9aqBA&feature=related
11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo3iQSEKmwE

• Misplaced Pages articles with possible conflicts of interest from November 2009
• 1970 births
• University of Poitiers alumni
• Living people