| Albanoid | |
|---|---|
| Albanic, Adriatic Indo-European, Illyric, Illyrian complex, Western Paleo-Balkan | |
| Geographic distribution | Western Balkans, Southern Italy |
| Linguistic classification | Indo-European
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Albanoid |
| Subdivisions |
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| Language codes | |
| Linguasphere | 55 (phylozone) |
| Part of a series on |
| Indo-European topics |
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Albanoid or Albanic is a branch or subfamily of the Indo-European (IE) languages, of which Albanian language varieties are the only surviving representatives. In current classifications of the IE language family, Albanian is grouped in the same IE branch with Messapic, an ancient extinct language of Balkan provenance that is preserved in about six hundred inscriptions from Iron Age Apulia.[1] This IE subfamily is alternatively referred to as Illyric, Illyrian complex, Western Paleo-Balkan, or Adriatic Indo-European.[2] Concerning "Illyrian" of classical antiquity, it is not clear whether the scantly documented evidence actually represents one language and not material from several languages, but if "Illyrian" is defined as the ancient precursor of Albanian or the sibling of Proto-Albanian it is automatically included in this IE branch.[3] Albanoid is also used to explain Albanian-like pre-Romance features found in Eastern Romance languages.[4]
Due to the relatively poor knowledge of Messapic, its belonging to the IE branch of Albanian has been described by some as currently speculative,[5] although it is supported by available fragmentary linguistic evidence that shows common characteristic innovations and a number of significant lexical correspondences between the two languages.[6]
- ^ Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 235; Friedman 2020, p. 388; Majer 2019, p. 258; Trumper 2018, p. 385; Yntema 2017, p. 337; Mërkuri 2015, pp. 65–67; Ismajli 2015, pp. 36–38, 44–45; Ismajli 2013, p. 24; Hamp & Adams 2013, p. 8; Demiraj 2004, pp. 58–59; Hamp 1996, pp. 89–90.
- ^ Crăciun 2023, pp. 77–81; Friedman 2023, p. 345; Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 235; Friedman 2022, pp. 189–231; Trumper 2020, p. 101; Trumper 2018, p. 385; Baldi & Savoia 2017, p. 46; Yntema 2017, p. 337; Ismajli 2015, pp. 36–38, 44–45; Ismajli 2013, p. 24; Hamp & Adams 2013, p. 8; Schaller 2008, p. 27; Demiraj 2004, pp. 58–59; Hamp 2002, p. 249; Ködderitzsch 1998, p. 88; Ledesma 1996, p. 38.
- ^ Friedman 2022, pp. 189–231; Friedman 2020, p. 388; Baldi & Savoia 2017, p. 46; Hamp & Adams 2013, p. 8; Holst 2009, pp. 65–66
- ^ Hamp 1981, p. 130; Joseph 1999, p. 222; Hamp 2002, p. 249; Joseph 2011, p. 128; Ismajli 2015, pp. 36–38, 44–45; Trumper 2018, pp. 383–386; Friedman 2019, p. 19.
- ^ Hyllested & Joseph 2022, p. 240: "Technically speaking, from a genealogical standpoint, Messapic likely is the closest IE language to Albanian (Matzinger 2005). However, in the absence of sufficient evidence, that connection must remain speculative.
- ^ Trumper 2018, pp. 383–386; Friedman 2020, p. 388; Friedman 2011, pp. 275–291.