>>Albanians have NOTHING to do with Illyrians<<
Very true, the Albos have absolutely NO connection to the ancient Illyrians based on latest research, we can most probaly find their origin somewhere in the Caucasus.
Some facts to concider:
a)The Albanians were never mentioned in Byzantine, (not even of the works by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus), Arab, Armenian or any other texts before the 12th cent.
b)Language:
Albanian is classified as an IE language only because no one has been able to classify it into any other group, and this is because no one has yet studied all the Caucasus languages.
Albanian might have IE sounding words, but its basic structure and syntax are more similar to Chechen and Udish than to any IE language. Many Albanian words do sound Indo- European, because Albanian has borrowed over 80% of its vocabulary, more than any other European language.
The Chechen language is similar to Albanian. They both have similar grammar and similar sounds such as SQ, PSHQ, which are not common in any IE languages, but are very common in Caucasus languages like Chechenian.
The Albanians call themselves "Shqip-tari". This name is not Indo-European in origin and contains in it the Ural-Altaic suffix "ar" or "tar". Much like: "Khaz-AR", "Av-AR", "Magy-AR", "Bulg-AR", "Hung-AR", "Ta-TAR" - "Ship-TAR". see:
CHECHENIA=ICHQERIA
ALBANIA=SHQIPTERIA
c)Their alphabet interestingly enough, had Arabic letters untill 1908 when the alphabet they use today was adopted.
d)The most ancient loanwords from Latin in Albanian have the phonetic form of eastern Balkan Latin, i.e. of proto-Rumanian, and not of western Balkan Latin, i.e. of old Dalmatian Latin. Albanian, therefore, did not take its borrowings from Vulgar Latin as spoken in Illyria.
e)The Adriatic coast was not part of the primitive home of the Albanians, because the maritime terminology of Albanian is not their own, but is borrowed from different languages.
f)Another indication against local Albanian origin is the insignificant number of ancient Greek loanwords in Albanian. If the primitive home of the Albanians had been Albania itself, then the Albanian language would have to have many more ancient Greek loanwords.
g)Just a few, of the many identical place-names between Albania and Caucasus:
Albo-Arnauti -Caucasus- Arnauti
(Turks and Balkan peoples call Albanians by this name; likely from arch. Turk: Arran)
Albo-Bushati - Caucasus-Bushati (also the name of an Albanian tribe)
Albo-Baboti - Caucasus-Baboti
Albo-Baka -Caucasus-Bako
Albo-Ballagati - Caucasus-Balagati
Albo-Ballaj,Balli - Caucasus- Bali
Albo-Bashkimi - Caucasus-Bashkoi
Albo-Bathore- Caucasus- Batharia
Albo-Bater- Caucasus- Bataris
Albo-Geg - Caucasus-Gegi, Gegeni, Geguti (Term used by Albanians in their language to denote their brethre north of the Shkumbi R.)
Albo-Demir Kapia - Caucasus-Demir Kapia (Turkish term: "iron gates"; term by which Turks refered to the Caspian Sea or arch: Albanian Sea)
Albo-Kish, Kisha... - Caucasus-Kish (Eight different toponyms in Albania begin with "kish")
Albo-k*rata,k*ratem,k*rateni(villages)-Caucasus-k*ra (river) (Nine different toponyms in Albania begin with "k*ra")
Albo-Luginasi - Caucasus-Lugini
Albo-Rusani - Caucasus-Rusian
Albo-Sheshani, Shoshani, Shashani - Caucasus-Shashani
Albo-Sheshaj, Sheshi - Caucasus-Sheshleti
Albo-Skalla - Caucasus-Skaleri
Albo-Albanci Shipyaki, Shkhepa, - Caucasus-Shkepi
Albo-Shkoder - Caucasus-Shkeder, Shked, Shkoda
Albo-Shekulli - Caucasus-Shekouli
Albo-Sk*raj - Caucasus-Sk*ria
h) The fact that Albanian is totally alien to the Illyrian language based on the Messapic inscriptions found in tombs. So we must come to the conclusion that they either came from a different location (Caucasus theory) or the Illyrian tribes had absolutely NO ability of comunicating with eachother.
(that does sound stupid don't you think?)
i) The Illyrian city names mentioned in ancient times that were kept do not follow the Albanian sound change laws, suggesting that they were late borrowing from an intermediary language (most likely Romance or Slavic), rather than inherited (for example ancient Aulona should have been inherited in modern Albanian as Alor? instead of Vlore.
j)Ptolemy in Book 5 chapter 15 titled "Location of Illyria or Liburnia, and of Dalmatia" (The Fifth Map of Europe)
Never mentions the alleged "albanopolis" that they support he has, and can be found at 46 degrees and 41 degrees 45', but when you look up what he really has writen, you find the city of Thermidava
Ptolemy's Goegraphy can be found at :
penelope.uchicago.edu/Tha.../home.html
k) Now, when we look at apostle Bartholomew's life, we find he labored in the area around the south end of the Caspian Sea, in the section that was then called Armenia. The modern name of the district where he died is Azerbaijan and the place of his death, called in New Testament times ALBANOPOLIS!!!, is now Derbend which is on the west coast of the Caspian Sea.
l) Out of a list of 40-50 Illyrian city names known to us only 2-5 of the Albanian city names can be connected to them.
m) There is NO MEMORY!!! of the Illyrian past in the Albanian cultural heritage.
n) One of the interesting facts that connect the Albanians to the Caucasus and that they are not the descendants of the Ancient Illyrians is the Turkish name for the Albanians. "Arnauti", which means "those who have not returned" in Arabic, for the Turks were aware of the origins of the Albanians. And they truly did not return, they stayed in Serbian and Byzantine lands.
o) Hard evidence is the Turkish censuses carried out in 1455, they indicate that Albanian names are found in only 80 of the 600 villages listed in the area, and that they did not constitute territorial groups, ruling out any assumptions that zones evenly and continuously inhabited by Albanians existed at the time.
p) The first Albo dictionary was published in 1635 and contained only 5,000 words, when today any pocket dictionary contains at least 250.000 proving that their language was still under development.
q) The most interesting fact is our knoledge of the Arab conquer of the Albanian Caucasus sometime around the 7th cent based on Byzantine, Arab and Armenian sources.
They were converted to Islam and used as military troops to attack Sicily, dividing it into two parts, (hence there was the Kingom of the two Sicilies). In order to populate their part of Sicily, the Arabs brought with them Old Albanians from the Caucasus.
Then in 1042, the Byzantine Empire attacked the yong Serbian state after having defeated the Arabs in Sicily and having brought the Sicilian Albanians under their command and christianizing them. The leader of the Byzantines who led the Albanians was named Georgius Maniakos. Maniakos brought Albanian mercenaries from Sicily to fight the Serbs and they settled in two waves in modern day Albania, first the mercanaries came, and then came the women and children. After the defeat of Maniakos, the Byzantines would not let the Albanians return, thus the Albanians requested that the Serbs let them stay on the land. They settled under mount Raban and the city of Berat and from this, the Serbs called them "Rabanasi" or "Arbanasi". The city of Berat was known as Belgrad also, before the Albanians came to settle there. They mostly tended sheep and cattle and lent themselves out to Serbian nobles as brave soldiers.
A fact to support this exept the texts themselfs is their flag. I'm sure you know that the Byzantine war flag was a double headed eagle on a red background.
Illyrian theory of Albanians has been created in late 19 century linguists.Reason for that is fact that Albanian language cannot be classified into ANY known branch of Indo-European.Although Indo-European,Albanian is most distant from all languages of that family.
So some Croatian,SERBIAN and German linguists have said that Albanian COULD BE descentant of ancient Illyrian.
That was before research of CAUCASIAN languages.
Also that was before of findings of inscriptions on VENETIAN.
Venetii were most western branch of Illyrians,and have lived in Histria(Istra)and Veneto region in Italy.
Also there were found inscriptions on thombstone in Sqoder in Albania..."ANA OETHE ISER".
And on ancient Venetian..."MEXO ZOTO VHUXSIIA VOTNA SHAIN ATEI REITIIAI OP VOLTIIO LENO" and
"PLETEI VEIXNOI KARANMNIIOI EKUPETHARIS EXO".
Those inscriptions are probably only thing we have from ancient Illyrians.We can see strong diftong structure,and afiliation towards Hellenic(Greek language).
Illyrians were under great Greek cultural influence,as we can see from archaelogy.Although enemies Greeks and Illyrians have good trading relationships.
Illyrian battle helmet was very similar to Greek,and Illyrians have imported bronze and clay pottery from Greece.
Albania was very early under Greek colonisation process.
Illyrian lands came under Roman rule very early,about 2 cent.b.c.Illyrians had their elements of state in DALMATIA.They show resistance under BATON and TEUTA,but they were crushed.Center of Illyrian state of Teuta was in HVAR island in CROATIA.
Under Roman rule Illyrians have been FULLY ROMANIZED.
Romans have also bring collonists from Italy and other regions of empire.
In 3 century a.d Illyrians cease to exists as ethnicity.
They were merged with Thracians,Celts and Italics.
Population of western Balkans during Roman times have spoke Latin derived language(Latinus vulgaris).
Tombstones,remnants of inscriptions in both Aristocrate and farmer items shows FULLY LATINIZATION.
Illyrians(now Romans)had Roman identities,and have become most fanatical defenders of empire.
Their common names shows Greek afinities.
Emperor Diocletian real name was DIOCLES.
Probably Illyrians have belong to same group of Indo-Europeans as Hellenes(Greeks).
Only thing that has left of Illyrians were name of province(ILLYRICUM).By that name Romans considered territory of central Balkan.
Illyricum was territory for recruiting Legionaires,like GALLIA(France).
Romans have build cities and roads all across Balkans.
In Albania(and in Kosovo)Romans have build systems of roads.Early inscriptions shows some Illyrian influence(like the ones above),while later are only on LATIN.
Albania was among first territory to become Roman.
It is impossible that some Illyrians could survive in isolation,for such a long time.
Also Illyrian language was far from todays Albanian.
Kosovo was inhabited by DARDANIANS,which were mixed Illyro-Thracian population.Center of dardanians was Skopje(Scupi).
Dardanians have been among best legionaires from Balkans.Their tombstones shows LATIN inscriptions and identification.
Roman empire was melting pot,and in late empire population have fully identified with Rome.
Albanians are never mentioned in Roman or Byzantine chronicles.They suddenly apear in 11 century.
Territory of Albania was inhabited by slavs also,and there are still Serbs ans Macedonians living there.
Albanians are mentioned as nomadic sheperds.
French crusaders described Albanians as people who live in TENTS(nomadic origin?).This was mentioned in 12 century.
Albanians were not majority in Albania before 17 century.
AROMANIANS were majority,and their center was MOSCOPOLIS in central Albania,near Tirana.
Albanian tribes have wipped them in several attacs in 17 and 18 century.There are still Aromanians in south and central Albania today,as tiny minority.
In middle ages Albanians(Arvanitoi,Arbanasi)were small ethnic group,almost non existant.
They have been minority in Albania,and in Kosovo they have been almost non existent.
So who are Albanians really?
It is interesting that they are first mentioned in 11 century.That correspond with PECHENEG and KUMAN invasion from east.
Kumans were nomadic tribe from asia wich came with some OTHER groups in Balkans.They have pass through Bulgaria ,Macedonia and what is today Albania.
Albanians(Shqiptar)were caucasian group which came with them.
Albanian language shows close grammatical and sythaxical similarity with CIRCASSIAN(LEZGIAN)languages.
caucassian languages are different between eachother,but they have same structure and accentation.
Albanian language shows same afinities.
Closest to Albanian are CHECHEN,INGUSH and UDI(LEZGIAN).Udi is last remnant of ancient caucasian ALBANIAN.
Links...Chechen grammar and dictionary=ingush.narod.ru/chech/awde/
Udi grammar and dictionary...
www.Irz-muenchen.de/~wschulze/Uog.html
Check links "Udi and problem of circassian Albania" and
