Origin Istro-Romanian language

istro-romanians areas: green line in 1800, dashed lines in 1900.

a. kovačec (1998) hypothesizes istro-romanians migrated present region 600 years ago romania, after bubonic plague depopulated istria. hypothesis based on chronicles of frangipani princes state in 15th century accepted migrating vlachs nearby mainland , northern part of krk (veglia) island, , settled them in isolated villages @ poljica , dubašnica , @ port malinska. term vlach , however, refers eastern-romance-language speakers , cannot associated exclusively istro-romanians. in fact, pockets of romanian-language speakers persisted in malinska mid 19th century, gradually assimilated , language disappeared last speaker, mate bajčić-gašparović. today, few romance-language toponyms remain in malinska. (tekavčić 1959, kovačec 1998)

the transylvanian connection alive in hand-down memories , folk songs of of rumeni (rumêri) themselves. put either of 2 groups—the northern upland cici (italian: cicci; serbo-croatian: ćići), , vlahi of arsa valley (historical name arsia; today called raša) region. interestingly enough, iosif popovici entitled book dialectele române din istria (halle, 1909)—that is, dialects... not dialect... —so indirectly suggested there (and still are) several istro-romanian dialects in istria. linguistic differences, however, can explained: language evolves separately when there geographical border between individual groups—in case, ciceria mountain range. indeed, there variations distinct town town.

insofar romanian linguists concerned, opinions divided: prof. dr. iosif popovici (1876–1928), had traveled extensively in istria, promoted hypothesis istro-romanians natives of Țara moților (western transylvania) emigrated istria in middle ages. ( dialectele române din istria , i, halle a.d.s., 1914, p. 122 , following). opinion shared ovid densusianu (1873–1938), romanian folklorist, philologist, , poet introduced trends of european modernism romanian literature. did not hold belief istro-romanians native istria found today (or found in 1930s when did research book histoire de la langue roumaine, i, p. 337): un premier fait que nous devons mettre en evidence, c est que l istro-roumain n pu se développer à l origine là où nous le trouvons aujourd hui (the primary issue istro-romanian, because of close similarity other dialects spoken in isolated areas of present-day romania, close resemblance daco-romanian, not have originated in isolation found today).