▁groups . ▁ ▁Deb ate ▁ ▁Those ▁who ▁argue ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁an ▁Il ly rian ▁origin ▁maintain ▁that ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁Il ly rian ▁tribes ▁dwell ing ▁in ▁South ▁Il ly ria ▁went ▁up ▁into ▁the ▁mountains ▁when ▁S lav s ▁occupied ▁the ▁low lands , ▁while ▁another ▁version ▁of ▁this ▁hypothesis ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁Alban ians ▁are ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁Il ly rian ▁tribes ▁located ▁between ▁Dal mat ia ▁and ▁the ▁Dan ube ▁who ▁sp illed ▁south . ▁ ▁Sch ol ars ▁who ▁support ▁a ▁Da cian ▁origin ▁maintain ▁on ▁their ▁side ▁that ▁Alban ians ▁moved ▁south wards ▁between ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁and ▁ 6 th ▁centuries ▁AD ▁from ▁the ▁Mo esian ▁area , ▁in ▁present - day ▁Roman ia . ▁O thers ▁argue ▁instead ▁for ▁a ▁Th ra cian ▁origin ▁and ▁maintain ▁that ▁the ▁proto - Al ban ians ▁are ▁to ▁be ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁between ▁Ni š , ▁Sk op je , ▁Sof ia ▁and ▁Alban ia ▁or ▁between ▁the ▁Rh od ope ▁and ▁B alk an ▁Mountains , ▁from ▁which ▁they ▁moved ▁to ▁present - day ▁Alban ia ▁before ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁S lav s . ▁ ▁L ingu istic ▁evidence ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁written ▁mention ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁language ▁occurred ▁on ▁ 1 4   J uly ▁ 1 2 8 4 ▁in ▁present - day ▁Dub rov nik , ▁Cro atia ▁when ▁a ▁crime ▁witness ▁named ▁Matthew ▁test ified : ▁" I ▁heard ▁a ▁voice ▁shout ing ▁on ▁the ▁mountains