Why did Romance-speaking Illyrians got completely Slavicized?

[aherne]

Yet another thing that baffles me with Balkans is how come Slavs managed to assimilate a much larger Illyro-Romance speaking population in SW Balkans throughout the span of just 1-2 centuries. As early as 10th century, the only Latin speakers left were on Dalmatian coast and in the mountains (but evidence is pretty clear Vlach shepherds were proto-Romanian, so originating from Eastern Balkans). Even more perplexing is how the language spoken there has no Romance substrate and remains quite archaic (closest to proto-Slavic from all)...

Has anyone studied this assimilation process: how come it was so effective?

[Rudel]

I'm not a Balkan specialist but I'm going to guess there probably wasn't much assimilation because there weren't many people to assimilate. It was probably left ravaged from Justinian's plague and war, Slavs came in and just took over a large amount of pockets in a short period of time.

[WeirdLookingFellow]

Bosnesiensis or whoever made the other post asking how come Romanians didn't eventually speak Slavic as well is how this should be treated. Slavs managed to gain a stronghold on the southern shores of the Danube and impose their language and authority. Eventually the populations that wouldn't get slavicized left. Even though in Romania it could've almost happened, the perpetual migrations of other peoples that established short-lived states stopped the establishment of a strong Slavic administration and with the Mongols ravaging the lands, the Bulgarians couldn't do it either.

Eventually, a Vlach/Protoromanian military elite managed to establish order and a state in Wallachia and Moldova (In Transylvania they couldn't be absorbed properly and it was the core of the population, I believe). If somehow Bulgarians got there first, us two would probably be speaking Bulgarian right now. Since genetically Romanians are indistinguishable from either Serbs or Bulgarians, I think the administrational/elite supremacy argument stands.

[Pribislav]

Yet another thing that baffles me with Balkans is how come Slavs managed to assimilate a much larger Illyro-Romance speaking population in SW Balkans throughout the span of just 1-2 centuries. As early as 10th century, the only Latin speakers left were on Dalmatian coast and in the mountains (but evidence is pretty clear Vlach shepherds were proto-Romanian, so originating from Eastern Balkans). Even more perplexing is how the language spoken there has no Romance substrate and remains quite archaic (closest to proto-Slavic from all)...

Has anyone studied this assimilation process: how come it was so effective?

This is true. SW Slavic languages and dialects are lack of Romance influence.

Only exceptions are Dalmatia, part of Istria and part of Montenegrin coast, where locals use/used many Italian (Venetian) origin words, because of Venetian rule. My ancestors used many Italian/Venetian origin words and Dalmatian hinterland from where they are was only 109 years under Venetians (1688-1797). Coastal Dalmatia and Bay of Kotor were the under Venetians in period 1420-1797 (Zadar even more), part of Istria was over 1000 years Venetian whole period of Venetian Republic existence , because of that Italian/Venetian origin words which use or used locals there until few decades ago are very huge.

[Bosniensis]

We were 50% - 50%.

Our women got enslaved by Visigoths and other conquerors so we had to take women from Avars and Slavs. (we have that evidenced in historical books)

Since woman were teachers of language while males were farmers, soldiers etc.. eventually Latin language got replaced with Slavic.

Slavic language became dominant gradually from 8th towards 12th century.

In 11th century you could still find a Governor of Belgrade (Singidunum) speaking Greek and Latin (Theophilos Erotikos for example)

Slavs assimilated most of city dwellers into Slavic while those working on Mountains like shepherds they remained loyal to Latin longest and even today on Balkans

are identified as Vlachs.

Romania had a similar situation, they are also 50% - 50% and the same thing happened to them, it just that they managed to rebuke Slavic and maintain Latin (Neo Latin) with Slavic influence.

We can say without any doubt that our language is Both South Slavic (i.e Serbian) and Daco-Roman

[Pribislav]

..

[Cumansky]

Avars

[Pribislav]

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How would you define ethnicity of this man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuone_Udaina

[Jana]

We are genetically pred. Slavic, so there is your answer.

[Bosniensis]

How would you define ethnicity of this man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuone_Udaina

Since he lived in Dalmatia he might have additionally mixed with Venetians, but he does have strong dinarid influence, he would probably match Dalmatian Croats on DNA tests because he is Dalmatian Illyrian 100%.