The name of the Illyrian king Bardyllis (Βάρδυλλις/Βάρδυλις) has long perplexed the curiosity of certain linguists. While no definite etymology has been given, the link with Albanian has been considered. A number of linguists tended to believe that Βάρδυλλις is being composed of Βάρδ - bardhë (white) and υλλις - yll (star), thus giving the meaning of 'white star', probably an epithet given to his exceptional force. Accordingly, Paul Kretchmer neatly identified Bardyllis with alb. bardhë.
Glotta :magazine for Greek and Latin language ... , Volume 32, Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht. , 1953, p. 61
Roseti opines that Bardyllis is related to Alb.
Brève histoire de la langue roumaine: des origines à nos jours, Alexandru Rosetti, Mouton, 1973, p. 52
The Serbian academic, P.Ilic merely confirms the above etymology:
Zbornik Šeste jugoslovenske onomastičke konferencije: Donji Milanovac, 9-12 oktobra 1985, Pavle Ivić, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, 1987, p. 59
Even the Stuart Man who has comprehensively dealt with Albanian holds that ,,i bardhë'' is likely.
An Albanian Historical Grammar, Suart E. Mann, Buske, 1977, p. 3
The list goes on...one of the most outstanding scholars on Illyrian studies maintain the traditional etymology:
...the Belgian academy takes for granted that etymology:Bardas, BäpSuMq sowie den apulischen Ortsnamen Barduli (heute Barletta.) — wo der Ort nach dem oder den Siedlern benannt wurde —— zusammen mit alb. barth, best. bardh-i ‚weiß' und den alb. Eigennamen Bardhi, Bardhok zur idg.
Die Sprache der alten Illyrier - Volume 1, Anton Mayer - 1957, p.19
Bulletin: Handelingen, Volumes 66-67, Belgium. Commission royale de toponymie & dialectologie, 1994, p. 50
Other sources:
http://books.google.com/books?id=xZftQt ... he&f=false
While analyzing that name, one should take into account the name of the Illyrian tribe Παρθῖνοι (Parthini) who presumably used to live in the same territories of Bardyllis kingdom. There is a hypothesis contending that the name of Albani tribe (who got mentioned by Claudi Ptolemy in 2 century AD) is a mere translation from the original Parthini. Its already known that *alb- root means 'white' which is well-attested in European toponymy. It does seem likely that Roman writers merely used ''Albani' instead of Parthini. This is further testified by the very fact that Parthini did not appear in later sources. The dental fricative θ might have given *dh in Albanian (Παρθ > Βάρδ > bardhë).
