Two Types of Ancient Indo-European Isoglosses in the Albanian Language

Abstract

Since a separate Indo-European feature of the Albanian language has been discovered in the mid-19th century, reliable and generally accepted criteria for determining its ethno-linguistic connections were largely exhausted. Due to the comparatively late appearance of the Albanian language on the historical scene, on the one hand, and the absence of literary testaments of old-Balkan languages on the other, the dispute on the origin of the Albanian language has been conducted for two centuries, with relatively moderate results. This paper attempts to view the question of Albanian ethno-linguistic ties in the light of new conclusions that have emerged in the comparative grammar of Indo-European languages.