Illyrian Language

The Illyrian language was an ancient tongue spoken by the Illyrians, a group inhabiting the western Balkans from around 1000 BCE to the early centuries AD. It is considered a poorly documented Indo-European language, with very few surviving inscriptions or texts. Modern understanding of Illyrian is limited, mostly inferred from place names, personal names, and ancient Roman and Greek references. It is unrelated to modern Balkan languages, and much of its vocabulary and structure remain unknown, making it a fascinating yet elusive subject for historical linguists studying the early languages of Europe.