Rahovec

Rahovec

*Rahovec* or *Rahoveci* (Albanian)
Ораховац / *Orahovac* (Serbian)
Rahovec Rahovec or Rahoveci (Albanian); Ораховац / Orahovac (Serbian);
Town and municipality
	From the top, Panorama of Rahovec, Rahovec Clocktower, Xhamia e Sokolit
	Flag Emblem
	Rahovec Rahovec
	Coordinates: 42°23′58″N 20°39′17″E / 42.39944°N 20.65472°E
Country	Kosovo
District	District of Gjakova
Government
• Mayor	Smajl Latifi (AAK)
Area
• Municipal	278 km2 (107 sq mi)
• Rank	21st in Kosovo
Elevation	477 m (1,565 ft)
Population (2024)
• Municipal	41,777
• Density	150/km2 (390/sq mi)
• Urban	13,642
• Ethnicity	98.14% Albanians; 1.85% Other;
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	21000
Area code	+383 29
Vehicle registration	07
Website	kk.rks-gov.net/rahovec

Rahovec (Albanian definite form: Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац), is a town and municipality located in the District of Gjakova in western Kosovo. According to the 2024 census, the town of Rahovec has 13,642 inhabitants, while the municipality has 41,777 inhabitants.

Etymology

The name of the town and municipality is of Serbian origin and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word orěhъ, meaning nux (English: nut).^[2] The name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.

Geography and population

The municipality covers an area of approximately 276 km² (107 sq mi) and contains 35 villages.

Economy

Rahovec is especially known for its vineyards and wines.^[3]

Demographics

Municipal historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1948	27,335	—
1953	30,095	+1.94%
1961	35,461	+2.07%
1971	46,788	+2.81%
1981	61,178	+2.72%
1991	85,698	+3.43%
2011	56,208	−2.09%
2016 est.	58,908	+0.94%
Source: Division of Kosovo

According to the last official census done in 2011, the municipality of Rahovec has 56,208 inhabitants.

In the municipality's total population, 98.14% are Albanians, amounting to 55,166 individuals, while the rest represent diverse minority groups in Kosovo, including Ashkali, Egyptians, Serbs, Bosniaks and various others.^[4]

Local Pidgin Language

The town was known for a language known locally as "Rahovecionshe" or "Raveqki", which is a mixture of Albanian, Serbian and Bulgarian. Its use has declined rapidly after the Kosovo War and nowadays it is nearly extinct.^[5] It is thought that this pidgin language developed as a way for Albanian grape farmers to sell their products to wine producers, who were predominately Slavic-speaking.^[5]

Notable people

Shkëlzen Maliqi (born 1947), Kosovo Albanian former politician, born in Rahovec.^[6]
Ajet Shehu (born 1990), English footballer, born in Rahovec .
Ukshin Hoti (1943–1999), Kosovo Albanian activist, politician, and philosopher, born in Krusha e Madhe.^[7]^[8]
Ali Sokoli (1921–1974), Yugoslav physician, born in Rahovec.
Jovan Grković-Gapon (1879–1912), Serbian Chetnik, born in Rahovec.
Lazar Kujundžić (1880–1905), Serbian Chetnik commander, born in Rahovec.^[9]
Kida (born 1997), Kosovo Albanian female singer
Xhevdet Bajraj (1960–2022), poet and screenwriter who resided in Mexico.^[10]

References

^ "2024 Popullsia sipas gjinisë etnicitetit dhe vendbanimit" (PDF). Archived from the original on 3 March 2022.
^ Skok, Petar (1988) [1971]. Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 2. Zagreb: Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. p. 562. ISBN 86-407-0064-8. orah, pl. orasi ... praslav. orěhъ "nux". Pridjev na -ov orahov, poimeničen u topnimiji u sr. r. Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Hercegovina), ... Oriovac, gen. -vca (toponim u Slavoniji) = Oravac, gen. -avca = Oraovac (1770, Kosmet) = Raovec u arbanaskom izgovoru.
[Translation: orah, plural orasi ... from the Proto-Slavic orěhъ "nux". The adjective on -ov, orahov, is nominalised in toponymy into Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Herzegovina), ... Oriovac (Slavonia) = Oravac = Oraovac (1770, Kosovo and Metohija) = Raovec in Albanian pronunciation. (N.B. Orahovac and Rahovec are shown here in h-less variants Oraovac and Raovec)]
^ "Wineries of Rahovec - KOHA".
^ "Popullsia sipas gjinisë etnicitetit dhe vendbanimit 2011 (AKS)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Kosovo's Mysterious Dialect Fades Away :: Balkan Insight". www.balkaninsight.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
^ Asanaj, Dino (1996). Shekulli 21 (in Albanian). Gjonlekaj Publishing Company. p. 283. ISBN 9780962214127. Shkelzen Maliqi - Lindur më 1947, Rahovec, Kosovë.
^ Elsie, Robert (2010). Historical dictionary of Kosovo. Scarecrow Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780810874831.
^ Çollaku, Petrit (25 March 2015). "Kosovo Urged to Intensify Hunt for Missing Activist". Balkan Insight.
^ Stanojević, Stanoje (1925). Narodna enciklopedija srpsko-hrvatsko-slovenac̆ka, Knjiga 2 (in Serbian). zdavac̆: Bibliografski zavod d.d. p. 562. O. H. - KUJUNDŽIĆ LAZAR, učitelj i čet- nički vojvoda ( uoči Lazareve subote 1880, selo Orahovac, srez podrimski, okrug prizrenski 25/5 1905, selo Ve- lika Hoča, srez podrimski, okrug pri- zrenski).
^ Avdyli, Ngadhnjim (1 November 2018). "Xhevdet Bajraj: I dreamt of freedom in a different way to the politicians". kosovotwopointzero.com.

[1] "2024 Popullsia sipas gjinisë etnicitetit dhe vendbanimit" (PDF). Archived from the original on 3 March 2022.

[skok-2] Skok, Petar (1988) [1971]. Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 2. Zagreb: Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. p. 562. ISBN 86-407-0064-8. orah, pl. orasi ... praslav. orěhъ "nux". Pridjev na -ov orahov, poimeničen u topnimiji u sr. r. Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Hercegovina), ... Oriovac, gen. -vca (toponim u Slavoniji) = Oravac, gen. -avca = Oraovac (1770, Kosmet) = Raovec u arbanaskom izgovoru.
[Translation: orah, plural orasi ... from the Proto-Slavic orěhъ "nux". The adjective on -ov, orahov, is nominalised in toponymy into Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Herzegovina), ... Oriovac (Slavonia) = Oravac = Oraovac (1770, Kosovo and Metohija) = Raovec in Albanian pronunciation. (N.B. Orahovac and Rahovec are shown here in h-less variants Oraovac and Raovec)]

[3] "Wineries of Rahovec - KOHA".

[4] "Popullsia sipas gjinisë etnicitetit dhe vendbanimit 2011 (AKS)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.

[:0-5] "Kosovo's Mysterious Dialect Fades Away :: Balkan Insight". www.balkaninsight.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.

[6] Asanaj, Dino (1996). Shekulli 21 (in Albanian). Gjonlekaj Publishing Company. p. 283. ISBN 9780962214127. Shkelzen Maliqi - Lindur më 1947, Rahovec, Kosovë.

[7] Elsie, Robert (2010). Historical dictionary of Kosovo. Scarecrow Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780810874831.

[8] Çollaku, Petrit (25 March 2015). "Kosovo Urged to Intensify Hunt for Missing Activist". Balkan Insight.

[9] Stanojević, Stanoje (1925). Narodna enciklopedija srpsko-hrvatsko-slovenac̆ka, Knjiga 2 (in Serbian). zdavac̆: Bibliografski zavod d.d. p. 562. O. H. - KUJUNDŽIĆ LAZAR, učitelj i čet- nički vojvoda ( uoči Lazareve subote 1880, selo Orahovac, srez podrimski, okrug prizrenski 25/5 1905, selo Ve- lika Hoča, srez podrimski, okrug pri- zrenski).

[10] Avdyli, Ngadhnjim (1 November 2018). "Xhevdet Bajraj: I dreamt of freedom in a different way to the politicians". kosovotwopointzero.com.

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