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The Paleo-Balkan languages are the various Indo-European languages that were spoken in the Balkans in ancient times. Except for Greek and Albanian, they are all extinct,[1] due to Hellenization, Romanization, and Slavicization.
The following languages are reported to have been spoken on the Balkan Peninsula by Ancient Greek and Roman writers:[2]
Although these languages are all members of the Indo-European language family, the relationships between them are unknown. Classification of the languages spoken in the region is severely hampered by the fact that they are all scantily attested. Furthermore, many of the individuals who have published studies on these languages have had strong patriotic or nationalistic interests, which may compromise the scholarly value of their work.
Illyrian is a group of reputedly Indo-European languages whose relationship to other Indo-European languages as well as to the languages of the Paleo-Balkan group, many of which might be off-shoots of Illyrian, is poorly understood due to the paucity of data and is still being examined. The Illyrian languages are often considered to be Centum dialects.[3] Today, the main source of authoritative information about the Illyrian language consists of a handful of Illyrian words cited in classical sources, and numerous examples of Illyrian anthroponyms, ethnonyms, toponyms and hydronyms.
A grouping of Illyrian with Messapian 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 Venetic and Liburnian, once spoken in northeastern Italy and Liburnia respectively, is also proposed. The consensus now is that Illyrian was quite distinct from Venetic and Liburnian,[4][5] however a close linguistic relation has not been ruled out and is still being investigated.
Another hypothesis would group Illyrian with Dacian and Thracian into a Thraco-Illyrian branch,[6] whereas a competing hypothesis would exclude Illyrian from a Daco-Thracian grouping in favor of Mysian.[7] The classification of Thracian itself is a matter of contention and uncertainty.
The place of Paeonian remains unclear.[8] Not much has been determined in the study of Paeonian, and some linguists do not recognize a Paeonian area separate from Illyrian or Thracian. The classification of Ancient Macedonian and its relationship to Greek are also under investigation, with solid sources pointing that Ancient Macedonian is in fact a variation of Doric Greek, but also the possibility of being only related through the local sprachbund.[9][10][11][12][13]
Phrygian, on the other hand, is considered to have been most likely closely related to Greek.[14][15]
The Albanian language is considered by current linguistic consensus to have developed from one of the non-Greek, ancient Indo-European languages of the region, but attempts to connect it to a specific language are still controversial (see Origin of the Albanians).[16]
Greek alphabet, Greece, Cyprus, Armenia, Christianity
Dacia, Ă, Paleo-Balkan languages, Thracian language, Bronze Age
Latin, Celtic languages, Greek language, Germanic languages, Armenian language
Albania, Kosovo, Indo-European languages, Spanish language, Armenian language
Slavic languages, Albanian language, Greek language, Paleo-Balkan languages, Proto-Indo-European language
Paleo-Balkan languages, Thracian language, Indo-European languages, Thraco-Illyrian, Dacian language
Paleo-Balkan languages, Indo-European languages, Sprachbund, Spanish language, Albanian language