ilirios

Ilirios is the term used in several Romance languages to refer to the Illyrians, an ancient group of tribes who inhabited the western Balkans in classical antiquity. The region of Illyria stretched along the Adriatic coast, roughly corresponding to parts of present-day Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia, with inland extensions beyond the coast. The Illyrians were not a single political unit but a collection of tribes and kingdoms with varying customs and languages.

The Illyrian languages are poorly attested, known mainly from onomastic material such as personal names, place names, and a few glosses in classical authors. Consequently, the linguistic classification of Illyrian remains unresolved; the relation to the modern Albanian language is debated, with no consensus.

In classical antiquity, the Illyrians played a significant role in the dynamics of the southern Balkans, engaging with Greek city-states and later with the Roman Republic and Empire. Numerous tribes are named in ancient sources, including the Taulantii, Dardani, Liburnians, and Ardiaei. The Romans gradually subdued Illyrian lands, founding the province of Illyricum and incorporating the region into the Roman Empire. After the decline of Rome, Illyrian heritage persisted in local cultures and in the early medieval history of the Balkans.

In modern scholarship, "Illyrians" is used as a historical ethnonym. The concept interfaces with national histories in Albania and neighboring countries, where Illyrian roots are sometimes referenced in cultural and archaeological discussions. The term "ilirios" thus denotes a historical, linguistic, and ethnographic tradition that continues to inform studies of the western Balkans in antiquity and beyond.