Leshnicë e Sipërme (; , Ano Lesinitsa) is a village in the Vlorë County in Albania near the Greek-Albanian border. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Finiq. Name The placename Leshnicë has several possible origins. The Bulgarian word леска, leska meaning 'hazel bush' and the suffix -ьн-иц-а, -an-its-a, with the Slavic sound change sk and y into sht and further into sh. The Bulgarian dialectal form лес, les, rendered in old Slavic as лѣсь, les meaning 'forest' and the suffix -ьн+ -иц-а, an+ -its-a, with an old Albanian sound change s into sh. The Bulgarian лешница leshnica meaning 'European bladdernut'. Or from Лес/Леш -ин, Les/Lesh -in and the suffix -иц-а, -its-a, with loss of the unemphasized i.
Demographics The village is inhabited by Greeks and the population was 502 in 1992.
Notable people Nikos Katsalidas (Niko Kacalidha, b. 1949), poet and founding member of the organization of the Greek minority, Omonoia.
Nearest places Leshnicë e Poshtme Cerkovicë Maliçan Shëndre Dhrovjan Kërrë Tsamantas (Greece)
References
External links Some recent photos from the village: Panoramio - Photo of Ano Lesinitsa - Northern Epirus Panoramio - Photo of Pano Leshnica Panoramio - Photo of Agios Georgios. Pano Leshnica.