You and the Albanians need to understand the main order of assimilations of the illyrians
first from the celts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_settlement_of_Eastern_Europe
Therefore, early Celtic expeditions were concentrated against Illyrian tribes.[3] The first Balkan tribe to be defeated by the Celts was the IllyricAutariatae
The northern Illyrian tribes where assimilated into celtic society starting from 700BC in the eastern alps, the first they warred against was the southern illyrian tribe the Autariatae
then by the Romans
then by the Goths
and last by the slavs
As I told people before ..........90% of illyrian tribes lived outside of the modern borders of Albania ............the epiCentre of illyrians is in modern northern Bosnia
Excellent Sile. Reputation!
I gave as irony, anyhow.
What is important, Illyrian, what we know from scant sources, a lot of Illyrian names are very similar to South Slavic names.
Some Slovenian and other South Slavic researchers according their studies suppose Illyrian is descedant of South Slavic languages.
Someone can say that Illyrian, (and Thracian surely) is similar to Balto Slavic languages, but I think it is not correct that he or she says it is forerunner of Balto-Slavic, or Slavic, or South Slavic.
Because it is natural that Indoeuropean languages Illyrian, Thracian and Balto-Slavic are similar, and roots are common.
...
In
19th century there was
Illyrian movement between
Croats, Serbs and Bosniacs, scholars proclaimed that these peoples are
one nation, Illyrian nation.
It has all the logic, because
Illyrians mostly lived in the territory of Croats, Western Serbs and Bosniacs.
But the name of "
Jugosloven" or "
Jugoslaven" (meaning
South Slav) has prevailed over the name of "
Ilir".
Even in Bulgaria there was Illyrian ideas.
Slovenian researchers who proclaim that Illyrian is Slovenian have similar logic and they give a lot of arguments, they are serious, but I agree with you, their assumption is not correct.
...
In
20th century Croatian, Serbian and Bosniac idea about Illyrians, took Enver Hoxha, Albanian communist chief.
He pointed out that Illyrians are the ancestors of Albanians, not Croats, Serbs and Bosniacs.
It is strange, if we can have facts what you say that Illyrians lived in the about 10% Albanian territory of the total Illyrian territory, and main part of Illyrian territory was in todays Dalmatia, Bosnia and Panonian plain.
...
But there is big difference between Slovenian and other South Slavic researchers and Albanian researchers.
Slovenian and other South Slavic researchers are independent, their thinking someone can accept someone will reject, but when Enver Hoxha proclaimed that Albanians are descedants of Illyrians it became state project, and nobody could think nothing otherwise, and it entered in school system as "absolute truth".
Result we have, and it is one of reason why we must use irony, sometimes.
...
Illyrians dissapeared as (political, cultural or some other entity.)
Celts, Romans, Goths, Slavs etc. have made what they did.
Romanian resarschers give us truth which is obvious.
According Romanian scientists
no Illyrian language area survived in the Balkans in time of Romans.
No one of the chronicles in that time doesn't mention any such area.
Enver Hoxha thought, and his researchers digged, and found nothing.
No Illyrian inscriptions, only Latin or Greek, why, because Illyrian language (languages) disappeared.
It is unreal and fictitious that someone can think about imagination that in Albanian mountains during more than the ten centuries (from disapperaing of Illyrians to written appearing of Albanian in 14 century) survived language of which none of chronicles has no notion.
If we speak about facts than we can conclude as Romanian researchers, no Illyirian language area survived in Roman time and it is evidence, the sole the truth.