ians . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁AD , ▁Ste phan us ▁of ▁By z ant ium , ▁in ▁his ▁important ▁ge ographical ▁dictionary ▁entitled ▁Eth nica ▁( Ἐ θ ν ι κ ά ), ▁mentions ▁a ▁city ▁in ▁Il ly ria ▁called ▁Ar bon ▁( ), ▁and ▁gives ▁an ▁eth nic ▁name ▁for ▁its ▁inhabitants , ▁in ▁two ▁singular ▁number ▁forms , ▁i . e . ▁Ar bon ios ▁( ; ▁pl . ▁ ▁Ar bon io i ) ▁and ▁Ar bon ites ▁( ; ▁pl . ▁ ▁Ar bon it ai ). ▁He ▁c ites ▁Poly b ius ▁( as ▁he ▁does ▁many ▁other ▁times ▁in ▁Eth nica ). ▁ ▁References ▁to ▁the ▁" Al ban ians " ▁▁ ▁The ▁Ar ban asi ▁people ▁are ▁recorded ▁as ▁being ▁' half - bel ie vers ' ▁and ▁speaking ▁their ▁own ▁language ▁in ▁a ▁Bulgar ian ▁text ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁Ser bian ▁manuscript ▁d ating ▁to ▁ 1 6 2 8 ; ▁the ▁text ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁an ▁anonymous ▁author ▁that ▁according ▁to ▁R ados lav ▁Gru ji ć ▁( 1 9 3 4 ) ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Samuel ▁of ▁Bulg aria ▁( 9 9 7 – 1 0 1 4 ), ▁or ▁possibly , ▁according ▁to ▁R . ▁Els ie , ▁ 1 0 0 0 – 1 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁History ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 0 7 9 – 1 0 8 0 , ▁By z antine ▁historian ▁Michael ▁Att ali ates ▁referred ▁to