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Illyrian
Sign in to saveAlso known as Illyrian language, Illyrian languages
language or group of languages
Key facts
- Native to
- Modern Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia , Kosovo , Montenegro , North Macedonia and Serbia
- Region
- Region of Illyria , Southeast Europe
- Ethnicity
- Illyrians
- Extinct
- 2nd-6th centuries
- Language family
- Indo-European (?) Albanoid Illyrian
- Dialects
- (?) Albanian (?) Messapic †
- Iso 639 3
- xil
- Glottolog
- illy1234 Illyrian
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
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Article
The Illyrian language (/ɪˈlɪriən/) was an Indo-European language or group of languages spoken by the Illyrians in Southeast Europe during antiquity. The language is unattested with the exception of personal names and placenames. Just enough information can be drawn from these to allow the conclusion that it belonged to the Indo-European language family.
In ancient sources, the term "Illyrian" is applied to a wide range of tribes settling in a large area of southeastern Europe, including Albanoi, Ardiaei, Autariatae, Dardani, Delmatae, Dassareti, Enchelei, Labeatae, Pannonii, Parthini, Taulantii and others (see list of ancient tribes in Illyria). It is not known to what extent all of these tribes formed a homogeneous linguistic group, but the study of the attested eponyms has led to the identification of a linguistic core area in the south of this zone, roughly around what is now Albania and Montenegro, where Illyrian proper is believed to have been spoken.