: Proponents, including Ljudevit Gaj (1.3.7), utilized the "Illyrian myth," claiming that South Slavs were the direct descendants of ancient Illyrians. This served to provide "deep historical roots" and a sense of continuity that predated imperial rule.

: The movement's most enduring legacy was the adoption of the Štokavian dialect as the literary standard for Croats, which also brought them linguistically closer to Serbs and Bosnians.

: Initially an apolitical "spiritual brotherhood" focused on literature and literacy, it evolved by 1848 into a political force focused on Croatian autonomy within the Habsburg Empire (1.2.8). Key Scholarly Papers and Sources