by Lulzim Osmanaj

Abstract
This study explores the historical and linguistic identity of the Illyrians, analyzing inscriptions, ancient sources, and onomastic evidence. The name “Serbios,” found in an inscription near Bökh, may reflect an Illyrian origin rather than Slavic. Illyrian tribes along the Adriatic coast are linked to Greece’s indigenous populations, and their linguistic traces survive in Mesapian inscriptions, possibly representing a contact language related to Albanian. Ancient authors such as Homer, Thucydides, and Strabo distinguish Illyrians from Greeks, Epirotes, and other groups, with Via Egnatia marking a cultural and linguistic boundary. Macedonians’ classification as Illyrian or Greek remains debated, highlighting the complex ethnolinguistic landscape of the region.

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The Illyrians: Prehistoric Populations

— Serb and “Serbios” may be Illyrian names —

An inscription bearing the name Serbios Heraclides was discovered near Bökh, between Dium and Pydna. The South Slavs along the Kulpa and Morava rivers may have adopted this name from Illyrian-Thracian populations. Slavs use a different form in Procopius, where they are called Σπόροι. The name is not Slavic; explaining “Spori” as a corrupted form of “Serbi” is linguistically inaccurate.

— Along the Adriatic coast, Illyrian tribes spread in ancient times and are connected to the original inhabitants of Greece. According to Kiepert, all tribes with name suffixes -μνες, -άντες, and -όπες belong to the original Illyrian population. They also formed early populations in Italy but were later displaced south by Oscan and Sabellian tribes.

Few linguistic traces survive in Mesapian inscriptions, and Stier suggested that Mesapian may have served as a contact language with Albanian. Other original Italian populations were pushed northeast. The Veneti, distinct from Celts, spoke a different language. The Panonians and Illyrians joined the Veneti, and Epirotes, distinct from Greeks, were also part of the Illyrian population.

— Homer already referred to the inhabitants of Dodona as “barbarians.” Thucydides and Strabo maintain similar distinctions, separating Epirotes from Greeks. For instance, Strabo distinguishes Acarnanians (Greek) from Cassiopeians (Epirotes) at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. In another fragment, he notes: “After the Epirotes and Illyrians come the Greek peoples, such as the Acarnanians.”

— (Caution: At Strabo’s time, the term “Greece” did not exist. Ancient books, if they existed, were later rewritten post-Christian era, influencing perceptions of the Hellenes.)

Strabo also viewed Via Egnatia as a dividing line between Epirote and Illyrian peoples. Von Hahn similarly maps linguistic boundaries between Tosks and Gegs, though both are Albanian tribes; mutual intelligibility is low. The Shkumbin River forms this linguistic boundary. In southern regions near Berat, Tosk dialects include significant Geg elements.

— Strabo considers much of Macedonia Illyrian, including Queen Eurydice of Lynkestis, as well as Pelagonians, Eordians, and Elymians. Von Hahn classifies all Macedonians as Illyrians, though this is contested by glosses and personal names. Limited Macedonian linguistic evidence shows proximity to Greek dialects, with phonological shifts in aspirates and medial vowels. Doric and Aeolian influences are present.

— Determining the relationship between the ancestors of modern Albanians and Thracian language is challenging, though Thracian and Illyrian likely shared close affinities. Classical authors describe them as distinct yet sometimes indistinguishable. Strabo and Appian classify Dardanians as Illyrians, while Cassius Dio suggests Thracian identity. Istrians are usually Illyrians; Scymnus counts them as Thracians. Paeonians vary between Thracians, Phrygians, or Illyrians. Triballi show mixed Illyrian-Dardanian and Thracian traits. Coastal populations fluctuate in classification between Phrygian and Illyrian.