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
20 core words in Liburnian
Water
—
/—/
Fire
—
/—/
Sun
—
/—/
Moon
—
/—/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
—
/—/
Eat
—
/—/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Tree
—
/—/
House
—
/—/
Dog
—
/—/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
—
/—/
Eye
—
/—/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
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 | Damin (Lardil ceremonial register) | Messapic | Proto-Japonic-Koreanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | l!ii /lǃiː/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *əma /əma/ |
| Father | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ana /ˈana/ | *əpa /əpa/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.