The etymology of Shala is unclear. It has been connected to the Albanian term shalë(sinë) denoting an arid or infertile land, however, this etymology does not seem likely considering that the Shala Valley is among the only regions in the Albanian Alps suitable for agriculture. Folk tradition connects their tribal name to the word shalë ("saddle"), a reference to the legend in which the ancestor of the Shala was given a saddle by his brothers as they departed from one another.
