ZALL-BASTAR

The second part of the name of the Albanian city is a Svan plural form meaning "Basts" (also used to form toponyms). The Basti were the same ancient people whose name has reached our days only in ancient toponyms: Bastetani, Sabaste, Bastia, Bastarni. It is interesting to note the existence of the Spanish surname Sabastaro, which contains not only the Kartvelian toponymic prefix, but also the root "bastar" in its entirety.