Proto-Urianian is the phase of the language spoken in its earliest known form, that of names of places and persons brought to us by classical writers before the first Urianian inscriptions appear around 200 BCE. Uriania and Urianians are mentioned by several Greek writers and references are found as well in Tyrian tablets from old Phoenicia. The earliest assured mention is by Herodotus, who in book 4 of his History discusses various northern countries. It is widely held that his Χαλκοβώντος refers to Uriania, the latter half of the word being compellingly reminiscent of the island's name for example in Old Norse, Byntarland (hence the name Byntic for the Urianian dialect of English), and the Welsh Fint.
Click here for a full list of references to Uriania in ancient literature of the Proto-Urianian period.
This material is brought to us through foreign sources, and tell us a bit about phonological developments, but very little about morphology. However, from the known phonology and morphology of Old Urianian it is possible to reconstruct a system as outlined in the pages below.