The Illyrian languages are a group of Indo-European languages that were spoken in the western part of the Balkans in former times by groups identified as Illyrians: Delmatae, Pannoni, Illyrians, Autariates, Taulanti (see List of Illyrian tribes). Some sound-changes from Proto-Indo-European to Illyrian and other language features are deduced from what remains of the Illyrian languages, but because there are no examples of ancient Illyrian literature surviving (aside from the Messapian writings if they can be considered Illyrian), it is difficult to clarify its place within the Indo-European language family. Because of the uncertainty, most sources provisionally place Illyrian on its own branch of Indo-European, though its relation to other languages, ancient and modern, continues to be studied.

Language affinity

A grouping of Illyrian with the Messapian language has been proposed for about a century, but remains an unproven hypothesis. The theory is based on classical sources, archaeology, as well as onomastic considerations. Messapian material culture bears a number of similarities to Illyrian material culture. Some Messapian anthroponyms have close Illyrian equivalents.

A grouping of Illyrian with the Venetic language and Liburnian language, once spoken in northeastern Italy and Liburnia respectively, is also proposed. The consensus now is that Illyrian was quite distinct from Venetic and Liburnian , however a close linguistic relation has not been ruled out and is still being investigated.

A number of scholars believe the modern Albanian language to be descended from Illyrian. Several Illyrian items have been linked to Albanian, yet these remain tentative or inconclusive for the purpose of determining a close relation.

Outside influences

Yet it was not Greek, Celtic, Thracian, or Paionian, but Latin that would come to displace Illyrian above the Jireček line. The Romans conquered all the lands in which Illyrian was spoken, and it is quite possible that Illyrian faded early in the Common era, perhaps even before the Slavic invasion of the Balkans.

Illyrian words

• abeis, "snakes"; cf. Latin anguis, Old High Germ unc, Lith angìs, Gk óchis "snake", echis "viper", Toch auk "snake", Arm auj, Russ už, Skt áhis, Av aži
• bagaron, "warm"; cf. Phrygian bekos "bread", Eng bake, Lat focus "hearth", Irish goba "blacksmith", Gk phōgein "to roast", Armenian bosor "red", bots "flame".
• brisa, "husk of grapes"; cf. Alb bërsí "lees, dregs; mash", E broth, L defrutum "new wine boiled down", W brwd "brewage", OIr bruth "heat, wrath", Thrac brỹtos "barley alcohol", brỹtion "wine must", Gk apéphrysen "to seethe, boil"
• deuádai "satyrs"; cf. Skt dhūnoti "he shakes", Gk thýein "to rage, seethe", théeion "sulfur vapor", Eng dizzy, Old English dwæs "foolish", Paeonian Dýalos "Dionysos", Latin furere "to rage", belua "wild animal", Old Irish dásacht "rage, fury", Lith dvesiù "to perish, die (animals)", Hitt tuhhai "to gasp"
• mandos, "small horse"; cf. Alb mëz, mâz "poney", Thrac Mezēnai "divine horseman", Mess Iuppiter Menzanas (divinity)
• mantía "bramblebush"; cf. Old and dial. Alb mandë, mod. Alb mën, man "berry, mulberry"
• rhinos, "fog, mist"; cf. Old Alb ren, mod. Alb re, rê "cloud"
• sabaia, sabaium, sabaius, "a type of beer"; akin to Eng sap, Lat. sapere "to taste", Skt sabar "sap, juice, nektar", Avest. višāpa "having poisonous juices", Arm ham, Greek apalós "tender, delicate", Old Church Slavonic sveptǔ "bee's honey"
• sibina (Lat.), sibyna (Lat.), sybina (Lat.); σιβυνη (Gk.), σιβυνης (Gk.), συβινη (Gk.), ζιβυνη (Gk.): "a hunting spear", generally, "a spear", "pike"; an Illyrian word according to Festius, citing Ennius; is compared to συβηνη (Gk.), "flute case", a word found in Aristophanes' Thesmophoriazusai; the word appears in the context of a barbarian speaking. Cf. Persian zôpîn, Arm səvīn "a spit"

Some additional words have been extracted by linguists from toponyms, hydronyms, anthroponyms, etc.:

• Agruvium "along the coast between Risinum and Butua": IE *aĝr; cf. Skt ájraḥ "pasture, field", L ager, Gk agrós, Goth akrs
• Bindus "river god"; cf. Old Irish banne "drop", Skt bindú, vindú "drops, gob, spot", possibly Lat fōns Bandusiae
• Bosona, "Bosna river", literally "running water": IE *bheg, bhog "to run"; cf. OSl bĕžati "to flee, run", Lith bé(.)gti "to flee", Gk phébesthai "to flee", phóbos "fear", Alb boj "to drive, mate", Eng beck "brook, stream", MIr búal "flowing water", Hindi bhāg "to flee"
• mons Bulsinus, "Büžanim hill": IE *bhl.kos; cf. Eng balk, Middle Irish blog "piece, fragment", Latin fulcrum "bedpost", Gk phálanx "trunk, log", Lith balžiena "crossbar", Serb blazína "roof beam", Skt bhuríjāu "cart arms"
• Derbanoí, Anderva: IE *derv; cf. Eng tree, Albanian dru "wood", Old Church Slavonic drĕvo "tree", Welsh derw "oak", Gk dóry "wood, spear", drýs "oak, tree", Lith derva "pine wood", Hittite taru "tree, wood', Thracian taru "spear", Skt dru "tree, wood", daru "wood, log"
• Dizēros, Andízētes: IE *digh; cf. Eng dough, Gk teîchos "wall", Latin fingere "to shape, mold", Old Irish com-od-ding "he builds, erects", Old Russian dĕža "kneading trough", Armenian dez "heap", Skt dehah "body, form"
• Domator, personal name; cf. Old Irish damnaid "he binds, breaks a horse", dam "ox", Eng tame, dialectal Germ Zamer "ox not under the yoke", Alb dem "young bull", Lat domāre "to tame", domitor "tamer", Gk dámnēmi "to break in", dámalos "calf", Skt ''dāmyáti "he is tame; he tames"
• Loúgeon. Strabo in his Geography mentions "a marsh called Lougeon" (which has been identified as Lake Cerknica in Slovenia) by the locals (Illyrian and Celtic tribes), Lougeon being Strabo's rendition of the local toponym into Greek. cf. Alb lag "to wet, soak, bathe, wash" (< PA *lauga), lëgatë "pool" (< PA *leugatâ), lakshte "dew" (< PA *laugista); further akin to Lith liűgas "marsh", OSl luža "pool", Thracian Lýginos "river name"
• stagnus Morsianus "marshlands in Pannonia": IE *merĝ; cf. MHG murc "rotten, withered, boggy", OIr meirc "rust", Alb marth "to shiver, shudder", Lith markýti "to rust"
• Naro: IE *nor; cf. Lith nãras "diving duck", Russ norá "hole", SCr po-nor "abyss"
• Nedinum: IE *ned; cf. Skt nadas "roarer"
• Oseriates, "lakes"; akin to Old Church Slavonic ozero (Serb-Croat jezero), Latvian ezers, OPruss assaran, Gk Akérōn "river in the underworld"
• Pelso (Latin authors referred to modern Lake Balaton as "lacus Pelso", Pelso being a hydronym from the local inhabitants), Pelso apparently meant "deep": IE *pels; cf. Czech pleso "deep place in a river, lake", Welsh bwlch "crack", Arm pelem "to dig"
• Tergitio, "merchant"; cf. Old Church Slavonic trĭgĭ (Serb-Croat trg) "market", Old Russian tǔrgǔ "market", Latvian tirgus
• Teuta, Teutana: IE *teuta-, "people"; cf. Lith tauta "people", German Deutsch "German", Old English theod "people", Old Irish tuath "clan", Umbrian tota "people", Oscan touto "city", Hittite tuzzi "army"
• Tómaros, Tomorr mountain; cf. Old Irish temel "darkness", Middle Irish teimen "dark grey", OHG demar "darkness", dinstar "dark", Lat tenebrae "darkness", temere "by chance, rashly", Skt tamas "darkness", tamsrah "dark", Old Church Slavonic tima "darkness"
• Ulcisus mons, Ulcinium (city), Ulcisia castra; cf. E wolf, Alb ujk, Av vəhrkō, Farsi gurg, Skt vṛkas, OSl vlǔkǔ, Russ volcica, Lith vil~kas, L lupus, Gk lýkos
• Volcos, river name in Pannonia; cf. Old Irish folc "heavy rain, wet weather", Welsh golchi "to wash", obsolete Eng welkin "cloud", Old High Germ welk "moist", Old Church Slavonic vlaga "moisture, plant juice", vǔlgǔkǔ "wet"

Illyrian names

Illyrian

The following names derive from Illyrian or are not yet connected with another language.

• Agirrus
• Ballaios
• Bardyllis
• Bato
• Bircenna
• Blodus, Bledis
• Boria,Bora
• Daors
• Dazas
• Ditus
• Genthena
• Gentius
• Glavus
• Grabos
• Laiscus
• Messor
• Monunius
• Mytilus
• Pladomenus (from an inscription at Dyrrhacium)
• Plare(n)s
• Posantio
• Pravaius
• Scenobardos
• Scerdis
• Skerdilaidas
• Tatta
• Temus
• Teuda
• Teuta,Teutana means Queen in Illyrian
• Titus,name of the river Krka
• Vendes
• Verzo
• Zanatis
• Ziraeus

Celtic

The following Illyrian names, most of which occur in inscriptions from the upper Neretva river valley near Konjic in Bosnia, are considered to derive from Celtic

• Arvus
• Belzeius
• Cambrius
• laritus
• Lautus
• Argurianus(Thracian or Celtic)
• Ammida(questionable associations)
• Matera(questionable associations)
• Seneca(questionable associations)
• Mellito(Greek & Celtic)
• Nantia
• Nonntio
• Laca
• Madusa
• Matisa
• Nindia
• Poia
• Sicu
• Aioia
• Andetia
• Baeta
• Bidna
• Catta
• Dussona
• Boio
• Bricussa
• Iacus
• Mallaius
• Mascelio
• Kabaletus
• Litus
• Nantanius
• Sarnus
• Sinus
• Sisimbrius
• Vepus

Thracian

The following names derive from Thracian

• Argurianus(Thracian or Celtic)
• Auluporis
• Auluzon
• Bithus
• Bessus
• Teres
• Celsus
• Celsinus
• Cocaius
• Daizo
• Delus
• Dida
• Dinentilla
• Dizas
• Dizo

Greek

The following names derive from Greek.

• Agron ("Αγρά", prey or "Αγρός", wild country).
• Mellito (Greek & Celtic) ("Μελλιτόεις", like honey).
• Thana ("Θανατός", death).
• Plator ("Πλατών", wide man).
• Pleuratus ("Πλευρά", side).
• Cleitus the Illyrian ("Κλείω", renowned, renowned man).
• Glaukias ("Γλαυκός", gleaming, gleaming man).
• Ceraunii, tribal exonym ("Κεραυνιοί", Thunderbolt-men).
• Enchelei, tribal exonym ("Εγχελείς", Eel-men).

Names of Gods

The following names derive from various languages and are names of Gods worshiped by the Illyrians.

• Eia
• Malesocus
• Boria
• Iria
• Anzotica
• Latra
• Sentona
• Ica
• Bindus
• Vidasus
• Thana
• Thetis
• Medaurus
• Armatus

References

• Crossland, R. A. "Linguistic problems of the Balkan area in the late prehistoric and early classical periods". The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 3, 2nd ed. Boardman, Edwards, Hammond and Sollberger. London: Cambridge University Press, 1982, pp. 834-849.
• Katičić, Radoslav. Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One. Paris: Mouton, 1976, p. 149.
• Polomé, Edgar C., "Balkan Languages (Illyrian, Thracian and Daco-Moesian)". The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 3, 2nd ed. Boardman, Edwards, Hammond and Sollberger. London: Cambridge University Press, 1982, pp. 866-888.
• Wilkes, John, The Illyrians. London: Blackwell, 1992.

Notes

See also

• Messapian language
• Thracian language
• Paionian language
• Venetic language
• Albanian language

External links

• Short Illyrian Glossary
• Illyria and Illyrians