mˈɛni skˈɑːlɚz, pɚtˈɪkjʊlɚli ðoʊz ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃɪŋ ðə hoʊmˈɛɹɪk tɹɐdˈɪʃən ænd ðɪ ˈoːɹəl ˈɛpɪks ʌvðə bˈɔːlkənz, sədʒˈɛst ðæt ˈɜːli ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ʃˈoʊz klˈɪɹ tɹˈeɪsᵻz ʌv ˈoʊldɚɹ ˈoːɹəl tɹɐdˈɪʃənz, ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ ðə jˈuːs ʌv ɹᵻpˈiːɾᵻd fɹˈeɪzᵻz æz bˈɪldɪŋ blˈɑːks ɪn lˈɑːɹdʒɚ poʊˈɛɾɪk jˈuːnɪts.
Many scholars, particularly those researching the Homeric tradition and the oral epics of the Balkans, suggest that early writing shows clear traces of older oral traditions, including the use of repeated phrases as building blocks in larger poetic units.