▁V at ases cu ▁and ▁Mi ha es cu , ▁using ▁lex ical ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁language , ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁Alban ian ▁was ▁also ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁by ▁an ▁ext inct ▁Rom ance ▁language ▁that ▁was ▁distinct ▁from ▁both ▁Roman ian ▁and ▁Dal mat ian . ▁Because ▁the ▁Latin ▁words ▁common ▁to ▁only ▁Roman ian ▁and ▁Alban ian ▁are ▁significantly ▁less ▁than ▁those ▁that ▁are ▁common ▁to ▁only ▁Alban ian ▁and ▁Western ▁Rom ance , ▁Mi ha es cu ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁language ▁evol ved ▁in ▁a ▁region ▁with ▁much ▁greater ▁contact ▁to ▁Western ▁Rom ance ▁regions ▁than ▁to ▁Roman ian - spe aking ▁regions , ▁and ▁located ▁this ▁region ▁in ▁present - day ▁Alban ia , ▁Kos ovo ▁and ▁Western ▁Mac ed onia , ▁sp anning ▁east ▁to ▁Bit ola ▁and ▁Pr ist ina . ▁ ▁Greek ▁ ▁Greek ▁lo ans ▁have ▁various ▁chron ological ▁orig ins ; ▁the ▁earliest ▁ones ▁began ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁language ▁at ▁circa ▁ 6 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁and ▁are ▁of ▁Dor ic ▁proven ance , ▁t ending ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁veget ables , ▁f ruits , ▁sp ices , ▁animals ▁and ▁tools . ▁Joseph ▁arg ues ▁that ▁this ▁str atum ▁reflect s ▁contacts ▁between ▁Gree ks ▁and ▁Pro to - Al ban ians ▁from ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁B CE ▁on ward , ▁with ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁being ▁either ▁colon ists ▁on ▁the ▁Adri atic ▁coast ▁or ▁Greek ▁mer ch ants ▁in land ▁in ▁the ▁B