Draft:Original research/Language families



A language that can be shown to have evolved from the same ancestor as another language is in the same language family as the latter.

Linguistics
Def. "the scientific study of language" is called linguistics.

Languages
Def. a "form of communication using words either spoken or gestured with the hands, often with a writing system, usually structured with grammar" is called a language.

Families
The web edition of the Ethnologue contains a list of language families:


 * 1) Afro-Asiatic (376)
 * 2) Algic (42)
 * 3) Altaic (65)
 * 4) Amto-Musan (2)
 * 5) Andamanese (14)
 * 6) Arafundi (3)
 * 7) Arai (Left May) (6)
 * 8) Arauan (5)
 * 9) Australian (378)
 * 10) Austro-Asiatic (170)
 * 11) Austronesian (1257)
 * 12) Aymaran (3)
 * 13) Barbacoan (4)
 * 14) Bayono-Awbono (2)
 * 15) Border (15)
 * 16) Bororoan (3)
 * 17) Botocudoan (1)
 * 18) Caddoan (5)
 * 19) Cahuapanan (2)
 * 20) Cariban (32)
 * 21) Central Solomons (4)
 * 22) Chapacuran (5)
 * 23) Chibchan (20)
 * 24) Chimakuan (1)
 * 25) Chinookan (2)
 * 26) Chipaya-Uru (2)
 * 27) Chocoan (8)
 * 28) Cholonan (2)
 * 29) Chon (2)
 * 30) Chukotko-Kamchatkan (5)
 * 31) Chumashan (6)
 * 32) Cochimí-Yuman (9)
 * 33) Constructed language (1)
 * 34) Coosan (1)
 * 35) Creole (93)
 * 36) Deaf sign language (138)
 * 37) Dravidian (85)
 * 38) East Bird’s Head-Sentani (8)
 * 39) East Geelvink Bay (12)
 * 40) Eastern Trans-Fly (4)
 * 41) East New Britain (7)
 * 42) Eskimo-Aleut (11)
 * 43) Eyak-Athabaskan (44)
 * 44) Fas (2)
 * 45) Guajiboan (5)
 * 46) Guaykuruan (5)
 * 47) Haida (2)
 * 48) Harákmbut (2)
 * 49) Hmong-Mien (38)
 * 50) Huavean (4)
 * 51) Indo-European (445)
 * 52) Iroquoian (9)
 * 53) Jabutian (2)
 * 54) Japonic (12)
 * 55) Jean (16)
 * 56) Jicaquean (1)
 * 57) Jivaroan (4)
 * 58) Kamakanan (1)
 * 59) Karajá (1)
 * 60) Kartvelian (5)
 * 61) Katukinan (2)
 * 62) Kaure (4)
 * 63) Kaweskaran (2)
 * 64) Keresan (2)
 * 65) Khoisan (28)
 * 66) Kiowa-Tanoan (5)
 * 67) Kwomtari (3)
 * 68) Lakes Plain (20)
 * 69) Language isolate (82)
 * 70) Lencan (1)
 * 71) Lower Mamberamo (2)
 * 72) Maiduan (4)
 * 73) Maipurean (60)
 * 74) Mairasi (3)
 * 75) Mapudungu (2)
 * 76) Mascoyan (6)
 * 77) Matacoan (7)
 * 78) Maxakalian (2)
 * 79) Mayan (31)
 * 80) Maybrat (2)
 * 81) Misumalpan (5)
 * 82) Miwok-Costanoan (8)
 * 83) Mixe-Zoquean (17)
 * 84) Mixed language (22)
 * 85) Mongol-Langam (3)
 * 86) Mosetenan (1)
 * 87) Muran (1)
 * 88) Muskogean (6)
 * 89) Nambiquaran (6)
 * 90) Niger-Congo (1545)
 * 91) Nilo-Saharan (206)
 * 92) Nimboran (5)
 * 93) North Bougainville (4)
 * 94) North Caucasian (34)
 * 95) Otomanguean (177)
 * 96) Paezan (8)
 * 97) Palaihnihan (2)
 * 98) Panoan (27)
 * 99) Pauwasi (5)
 * 100) Piawi (2)
 * 101) Pidgin (16)
 * 102) Pomoan (7)
 * 103) Puinavean (7)
 * 104) Purian (2)
 * 105) Quechuan (46)
 * 106) Ramu-Lower Sepik (32)
 * 107) Sahaptian (5)
 * 108) Salish (26)
 * 109) Sálivan (3)
 * 110) Senagi (2)
 * 111) Sepik (55)
 * 112) Sino-Tibetan (460)
 * 113) Siouan-Catawban (14)
 * 114) Skou (8)
 * 115) Somahai (2)
 * 116) South Bougainville (9)
 * 117) South-Central Papuan (22)
 * 118) Tacanan (6)
 * 119) Tai-Kadai (95)
 * 120) Takelman (1)
 * 121) Tequistlatecan (2)
 * 122) Tarascan (2)
 * 123) Tiniguan (1)
 * 124) Tor-Kwerba (24)
 * 125) Torricelli (57)
 * 126) Totonacan (12)
 * 127) Trans-New Guinea (480)
 * 128) Tsimshian (3)
 * 129) Tucanoan (25)
 * 130) Tupian (76)
 * 131) Unclassified (64)
 * 132) Uralic (38)
 * 133) Uto-Aztecan (61)
 * 134) Wakashan (6)
 * 135) West Papuan (23)
 * 136) Wintuan (3)
 * 137) Witotoan (7)
 * 138) Yaguan (2)
 * 139) Yanomaman (4)
 * 140) Yele-West New Britain (3)
 * 141) Yeniseian (2)
 * 142) Yokutsan (1)
 * 143) Yuat (6)
 * 144) Yukaghir (2)
 * 145) Yukian (2)
 * 146) Zamucoan (2)
 * 147) Zaparoan (5)

Def. "a language family spoken in northern Africa and southwest Asia, and including Semitic, Egyptian, Berber, Omotic, Cushitic, and Chadic languages" is called an Afro-Asiatic language family.

Def. a "major language family which includes many of the [native] languages between Europe and India, with notable Indic, Iranian and European sub-branches" is called an Indo-European language family.

Def. an "indigenous language family of North America, comprising Wiyot, Yurok, and many Algonquian languages" is called an Algic language family.

Def. "a hypothetical [and largely-discredited] grouping of languages that includes the Turkic [languages (e.g. Turkish), the] Mongolic [(e.g. Mongolian)] and Tungusic [(e.g. Xibe) languages,] and less often the Japanese and Korean languages" is called an Altaic language family.

Theoretical language families
Def. "a group of languages believed to have descended from the same ancestral language" is called a family.

Def. a "set of languages which have evolved from a common ancestor" is called a language family.

Evolution
Def. "gradual directional change especially one leading to a more advanced or complex form" is called evolution.

Africa
By most estimates, well over a thousand languages (UNESCO has estimated around two thousand) are spoken in Africa.

Hypotheses

 * 1) Going back 40,000 b2k may indicate some languages came from these earlier times.