The Illyrian language was spoken by the ancient Illyrians, a group of tribes that inhabited the western part of the Balkans during classical antiquity. It is considered a member of the Indo-European language family, but its exact classification remains uncertain due to limited evidence. Most of what is known about the Illyrian language comes from inscriptions, place names, and a few recorded words. The language is thought to have been largely replaced by Latin and Slavic languages as these cultures spread through the region, leading to its eventual extinction.