Besides Greek, spoken by the Greek colonists, Messapian was the major language of the ancient district of Messapia (now Apulia and Calabria) in southern Italy. The language is  known from approx. 260 inscriptions dating from the VI to the I centuries BC.

A combination of ancient historical testimony tracing Messapian tribes to Illyria coupled with archaeological evidence for cross-Adriatic connections in ceramics and metalwork have prompted some linguists to link Messapian with Illyrian. The hard linguistic evidence is minimal since there are no Illyric inscriptions and the link must be based on personal and place names (names common on Messapian inscriptions have been found on tombs in Albania, cfr. Toci: Studia Albanica 2(1969), 163-185). Consensus does not support such a link without hesitation.

The inscription from Vaste is one of the longest texts in the Messapian languages. The original inscription runs for eight lines and there are no breaks between words. These must be determined by isolating out repeated words or word-endings, from which very conflicting translations may be produced.

Messapian:
klohizisthotoriamartapidovasteibasta
veinanaranindarantoavasti [...]

1. Consensus' translation:
"Hear, Jupiter! Thotoria Marta gave to the city of Basta her land in [the locality of] Darantoa..."

2. Otto Haas translation:
"Hear, Jupiter! Under the *theutor-ship of Amartapidius for the inhabitants of Basta this law. They passed it (the law) in the Council of Elders in Basta..."

3. M. E. Huild translation:
"One should heed these things! I, Theutoria Marta, purchase in the city of Basta the wine fields in Darantua..."

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