Liburni
Liburnian
Indo-European? (unclassified Paleo-Balkan; possibly Illyrian-related or pre-IE) · historical / hidden variety
Liburnian was the pre-Roman language of the Liburni, a maritime people of the northern Dalmatian coast and Kvarner islands (modern Croatia). It is attested solely through onomastics — personal names, theonyms, and place names preserved in Roman-period Latin inscriptions — with no connected text and no securely identified common vocabulary, so basic-concept words cannot be reconstructed. Its genetic affiliation (Illyrian, a separate Paleo-Balkan branch, or pre-Indo-European substrate) remains debated.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Liburnian
Water
—
/—/
Fire
—
/—/
Sun
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/—/
Moon
—
/—/
Star
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/—/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
—
/—/
I
—
/—/
You
—
/—/
Name
—
/—/
Eye
—
/—/
Hand
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Love
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/—/
Tree
—
/—/
House
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/—/
Dog
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/—/
Cat
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/—/
Eat
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/—/
Drink
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/—/
One
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/—/
Two
—
/—/
Hello
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/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
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/—/
Sources
- Wilkes, J. J. (1992) The Illyrians. Oxford: Blackwell.
- Katičić, R. (1976) Ancient Languages of the Balkans. The Hague: Mouton.
- Untermann, J. (1964) Die venetischen Personennamen. Wiesbaden.
- Glottolog: Liburnian
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European? (unclassified Paleo-Balkan; possibly Illyrian-related or pre-IE) languages
| Meaning | Liburnian | Nicaraguan Sign Language | Tartessian | Goguryeo | Messapic | Proto-Hmong-Mien | Meroitic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ | *ʔuwm /ʔuwm/ | 𐦠𐦶 /ato/ |
| Fire | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐦨𐦯 /ˈmasa/ |
| Moon | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Star | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Father | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ana /ˈana/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| I | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| You | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *ʔwei /ʔwei/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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