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{{under construction}}
{{construction}}


This set of lists of [[language families]] also includes language isolates, unclassified languages and other types.
This set of lists of language families also includes language isolates, unclassified languages, extinct language groups, and signed languages.
 
Language counts can vary significantly depending on what is considered a dialect.
 
==Language families (non-sign)==
{{See also|Language family|List of languages by number of native speakers}}
In the following, each bullet item is a known or suspected language family.  Phyla with historically wide geographical distributions but comparatively few current-day speakers include [[Eskimo–Aleut languages|Eskimo–Aleut]], [[Na-Dene languages|Na-Dené]], [[Algic languages|Algic]], [[Quechuan languages|Quechuan]] and [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]].
 
The geographic headings over them are meant solely as a tool for grouping families into collections, more comprehensible than an unstructured list of a few hundred independent families.  Geographic relationship is convenient for that purpose, but these headings are ''not'' a suggestion of any "super-families" phylogenetically relating the families named.  


==Language families==
{{See also|List of languages by total amount of speakers}}
In the following chart, each row is a recognized language family, with data on how many languages belong to each family, which regions they are primarily spoken in and by how many people as a first language. Note that only extant languages are counted, no extinct ones. Thus, a family can have one language if the other languages have gone extinct.


{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center;"
Line 20: Line 15:
!Proposed parent family
!Proposed parent family
|-
|-
|[[Afro-Asiatic languages]]
|[[Aitic languages]]
|366
|
|380,000,000
|
|[[Languages of Africa|Africa]], [[Languages of Asia|Asia]], [[Languages of Europe|Europe]]
|[[Atsiq]]
|
|-
|[[Alpic languages]]
|
|
|[[Alpa]]
|
|-
|[[Amaian languages]]
|10
|35,000,000
|[[Vaniua]], [[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Ambaroid languages]]
|5 – 10(?)
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[Argeyazic languages]]
|2
|175,000,000
|[[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Asuranesian languages]]
|10+
|
|[[Asuranesia]], [[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[Baitaar languages]]
|2+
|?
|[[Vaniua]], [[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Baredan languages]]
| 4
| 55,208,000
|[[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Bavkiri languages]]
|
|100,000,000
|[[Boroso]], [[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Cathani languages]]
|21+
|
|[[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Dagyelic languages]]
|3+
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[Darkinic languages]]
|
|
|[[Soltenna]]
|
|-
|[[Draconic Languages]]
|3
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[East Mirarian languages]]
|50+
|50,000,000+
|[[Northern Miraria]], [[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Ekuo-Lahiri languages]]
|15
|350,000,000
|[[Ekuosia]], [[Puzimm]], [[Lahan]]
|
|-
|[[Garsenian languages]]
|
|
|[[Alpa]]
|
|-
|[[Gulai languages]]
|15
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[Hesanic languages]]
|1+
|
|[[Soltenna]]
|
|-
|[[Jö-Ku languages]]
|4
|
|[[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Kame languages]]
|
|
|[[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Kencha languages]]
|2
|2,000
|[[Puzimm]]
|
|-
|[[Konaaczinh languages]]
|2
|
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Kõ languages]]
|
|
|[[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Letsic languages]]
|8
|400,000,000
|[[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Maakpauean languages]]
|5
|5,000,000
|[[Northern Miraria]]
|
|-
|[[Maedim languages]]
|4
|
|[[Puzimm]]
|
|-
|[[Maithic languages]]
|1+
|
|[[Soltenna]], [[Northern Miraria]]
|
|-
|[[Masic languages]]
|4
|
|[[Northern Miraria]], [[Soltenna]], [[Vaniua]]
|[[Ryamaian languages]]
|-
|[[Mherdic languages]]
|12
|250,000,000
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Mond-Iktic languages]]
|9
|35,000,000
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Nademic languages]]
|3+
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[Ngerupic languages]]
|100
|500,000,000
|[[Akulanen]], [[Soltenna]], [[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Orenahnian languages]]
|17
|~50,000,000
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Paroan languages]]
|4
|
|[[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Prra-Blen languages]]
|
|50,000,000 (doot pending)
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[KamPatuk languages]]
|4
|50,000
|[[Northern Miraria]]
|
|-
|[[Pink languages]]
|
|
|[[Ekuosia]]
|
|-
|[[Rartakan languages]]
|220
|
|[[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Rietic languages]]
|
|
|[[Soltenna]]
|
|-
|[[Ruic languages]]
|1+
|?
|[[Soltenna]]
|
|-
|[[Sangmian languages]]
|6
|8,000,000
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Sevaric languages]]
|
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[Shaelic languages]]
|11+
|74,000,000+
|[[Parshita]], [[Tlukeria]]
|
|-
|[[Sirchak languages]]
|2
|
|[[Northern Miraria]], [[Soltenna]]
|[[Ryamaian languages]]
|-
|-
|[[South Nagu languages]]
|
|
|[[Nagu]]
|
|-
|[[South Qeerlic languages]]
|15+
|15,000,000+
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Theweric languages]]
|20+
|100,000,000
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Tiengic languages]]
|1
|
|[[Parshita]]
|
|-
|[[Trans-Ebo-Puzimm languages]]
|
|
|[[Puzimm]], [[Lahan]], [[Ystel]]
|
|-
|[[Tulipi-Lakup languages]]
|3
|5,000
|[[Northern Miraria]]
|
|-
|[[Upper Borosan languages]]
|10?
|~100,000,000
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Vaniuan languages]]
|20
|502,000,000
|[[Vaniua]]
|[[Ryamaian languages]]
|-
|[[Vemkha languages]]
|3
|6,400
|[[Northern Miraria]]
|
|-
|[[Yaharan languages]]
| 3
|
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Yanomi languages]]
|18-22
|17,220,000
|[[South Baredina]]
|-
|[[Yennodorian languages]]
| 5
|
|[[Boroso]]
|
|-
|[[Yisi languages]]
|3
|
|[[Puzimm]]
|
|-
|[[Ystelo-Atruozan languages]]
|
|
|[[South Baredina]], [[Ystel]]
|
|-
|[[Yucho languages]]
|4
|25,000
|[[Northern Miraria]]
|
|
|-
|-
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==Language isolates==
==Language isolates==
{{seealso|Language isolate}}
[[Language isolate]]s are languages which are not part of any known family and they can be alternatively described as being its sole representative.
[[Language isolate]]s are languages which are not part of any known family and they can be alternatively described as being its sole representants.


{{div col|2}}
===Akulanen===
===continent===
*[[Kwalia language|Kwalia]]
beep boop


===continent2===
===Atsiq===
*[[Jáhkarrá language|Jáhkarrá]]


beeop booop
===Baredina===
{{div col end}}
*[[Kavahiri language|Kavahiri]]
*[[Mbare language|Mbare]]
*[[Jallo language|Jallo]]
 
===Boroso===
*[[Aktari language|Aktari]]
 
===Miraria===
*[[Doktakur language|Doktakur]]
*[[Vemkha languages|Vemkha]]: a small dialect cluster, occasionally considered a language family.
*[[Vodholk language|Vodholk]]
*[[Yucho languages|Yucho]]: alternatively classified as a small language family or as a single language with several divergent dialects.
 
===Nagu===
*[[Pafika language|Pafika]] - Possibly extinct
*[[Taliga language|Taliga]] - Around 200k speakers
*[[Tigi language|Tigi]]
*[[Tzula language|Tzula]]


==Unclassified languages==
==Unclassified languages==
Languages are considered unclassified either because, for one reason or another, little effort has been made to compare them with other languages or more commonly, because they are too poorly documented to permit reliable classification: most such languages are extinct and, most likely, will never be known well enough to classify.
Languages are considered unclassified either because, for one reason or another, little effort has been made to compare them with other languages or more commonly, because they are too poorly documented to permit reliable classification: most such languages are extinct and, most likely, will never be known well enough to classify.


===continent===
===Miraria===
*[[Naqui Basin language]]
*[[Xuni substrate language]]


==Extinct families and unclassified languages==
==Extinct families and unclassified languages==
This section lists extinct languages and families which have no known living relatives; while a minority of these is well known but is still classified as genetically independent (like the ancient [[Sumerian language]]), the lack of [[Attested language|attestation]] makes many of these hard to put into larger groups.
This section lists extinct languages and families which have no known living relatives; while a minority of these is well known but still classified as genetically independent, the lack of attestation makes many of these hard to put into larger groups.


{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center;"
Line 58: Line 419:
!Proposed parent family
!Proposed parent family
|-
|-
|[[Hurro-Urartian languages]]
|[[Halarian language]]
|2
|1
|7th century BC?
|5th century BCE
|[[Languages of Asia|Asia]]
|[[Azerin]], [[Barradiwa]]
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|[[Alarodian languages]]
|[[Ekuo-Lahiri languages]]
|-
|}
 
==Other language classifications==
The classification of languages into families, assumes that all of them develop from a single parent proto-language and evolve over time into different daughter language(s). While the vast majority of tongues fit this description fairly well, there are exceptions.
A [[mixed language]] often refers to a particular combination of existing ones, which may stem from different families: a [[pidgin]] is a simple language used for communication between groups; this may involve simplification and/or mixing of multiple languages. When a pidgin develops into a more stable language which children learn from birth, it is usually called a "creole".
Whether for ease of use or created for use in fiction, languages can also be constructed from the ground up, rather than develop from existing ones; these are known as [[constructed languages]].
 
== Sign languages ==
{{See also|List of sign languages|Sign Language#Classification of sign languages}}
The family relationships of [[sign languages]] are not well established due to a lagging in linguistic research, and many are isolates.
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" | Family Name
! scope="col" | Location
! scope="col" | Number of Languages
|-
| [[French Sign Language family|French Sign]] || Europe, the Americas, Francophone Africa, parts of Asia || Over 50
|-
|-
|}
|}


Beyond these language families, there exist many isolates, including:
==Creoles and mixed languages==
* [[Inuit Sign Language]]


== Proposed families ==
===Termic creoles===
The following is a list of proposed language families, which connect established families into larger genetic groups; support for these proposals varies, the [[Dené–Yeniseian languages]] for example, are a recent proposal which has been generally well received, whereas reconstructions of the [[Proto-World language]] are often viewed as [[fringe science]]; proposals which are themselves based on other proposals, have the likelihood of their parts noted in parentheses.


{| class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="2" style="text-align:center;"
==Sign languages==
|-
{{See also|List of sign languages}}
!Proposed name
The family relationships of sign languages are not well established due to a lag in linguistic research, and many are isolates.
!Description
Some established sign language families include:
!Mainstream consensus
* [[Silent languages]] (sign languages derived from [[Magali]]'s [[Silent Tongue]]).
|-
|[[Proto-World language|Proto-World]]
|reconstructed common ancestor of all living languages
|Widely rejected.
|-
|}


== See also ==
Sign language isolates include:
{{col div|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Vodholk language|Manual Vodholk]] ([[Achiyitqana]])
*[[International auxiliary language]]
* [[Pomvonuka]] ([[Rovenia]] and [[Madinia]])
*[[List of constructed languages]]


{{Language families}}


[[Category:Language families| List]]
[[Category:Language families| List]]
[[Category:Lists of languages| Families]]
[[Category:Lists of languages| Families]]
[[Category:Lists]]

Latest revision as of 01:07, 26 January 2024

This set of lists of language families also includes language isolates, unclassified languages, extinct language groups, and signed languages.

Language families

See also: List of languages by total amount of speakers

In the following chart, each row is a recognized language family, with data on how many languages belong to each family, which regions they are primarily spoken in and by how many people as a first language. Note that only extant languages are counted, no extinct ones. Thus, a family can have one language if the other languages have gone extinct.

Family name Languages Current speakers Location Proposed parent family
Aitic languages Atsiq
Alpic languages Alpa
Amaian languages 10 35,000,000 Vaniua, Parshita
Ambaroid languages 5 – 10(?) Nagu
Argeyazic languages 2 175,000,000 Ekuosia
Asuranesian languages 10+ Asuranesia, Nagu
Baitaar languages 2+ ? Vaniua, Parshita
Baredan languages 4 55,208,000 Ekuosia
Bavkiri languages 100,000,000 Boroso, Ekuosia
Cathani languages 21+ Parshita
Dagyelic languages 3+ Nagu
Darkinic languages Soltenna
Draconic Languages 3 Nagu
East Mirarian languages 50+ 50,000,000+ Northern Miraria, Parshita
Ekuo-Lahiri languages 15 350,000,000 Ekuosia, Puzimm, Lahan
Garsenian languages Alpa
Gulai languages 15 Nagu
Hesanic languages 1+ Soltenna
Jö-Ku languages 4 Parshita
Kame languages Parshita
Kencha languages 2 2,000 Puzimm
Konaaczinh languages 2 Boroso
Kõ languages Ekuosia
Letsic languages 8 400,000,000 Ekuosia
Maakpauean languages 5 5,000,000 Northern Miraria
Maedim languages 4 Puzimm
Maithic languages 1+ Soltenna, Northern Miraria
Masic languages 4 Northern Miraria, Soltenna, Vaniua Ryamaian languages
Mherdic languages 12 250,000,000 Boroso
Mond-Iktic languages 9 35,000,000 Boroso
Nademic languages 3+ Nagu
Ngerupic languages 100 500,000,000 Akulanen, Soltenna, Ekuosia
Orenahnian languages 17 ~50,000,000 Boroso
Paroan languages 4 Parshita
Prra-Blen languages 50,000,000 (doot pending) Nagu
KamPatuk languages 4 50,000 Northern Miraria
Pink languages Ekuosia
Rartakan languages 220 Parshita
Rietic languages Soltenna
Ruic languages 1+ ? Soltenna
Sangmian languages 6 8,000,000 Boroso
Sevaric languages Nagu
Shaelic languages 11+ 74,000,000+ Parshita, Tlukeria
Sirchak languages 2 Northern Miraria, Soltenna Ryamaian languages
South Nagu languages Nagu
South Qeerlic languages 15+ 15,000,000+ Boroso
Theweric languages 20+ 100,000,000 Boroso
Tiengic languages 1 Parshita
Trans-Ebo-Puzimm languages Puzimm, Lahan, Ystel
Tulipi-Lakup languages 3 5,000 Northern Miraria
Upper Borosan languages 10? ~100,000,000 Boroso
Vaniuan languages 20 502,000,000 Vaniua Ryamaian languages
Vemkha languages 3 6,400 Northern Miraria
Yaharan languages 3 Boroso
Yanomi languages 18-22 17,220,000 South Baredina
Yennodorian languages 5 Boroso
Yisi languages 3 Puzimm
Ystelo-Atruozan languages South Baredina, Ystel
Yucho languages 4 25,000 Northern Miraria

Language isolates

Language isolates are languages which are not part of any known family and they can be alternatively described as being its sole representative.

Akulanen

Atsiq

Baredina

Boroso

Miraria

  • Doktakur
  • Vemkha: a small dialect cluster, occasionally considered a language family.
  • Vodholk
  • Yucho: alternatively classified as a small language family or as a single language with several divergent dialects.

Nagu

Unclassified languages

Languages are considered unclassified either because, for one reason or another, little effort has been made to compare them with other languages or more commonly, because they are too poorly documented to permit reliable classification: most such languages are extinct and, most likely, will never be known well enough to classify.

Miraria

Extinct families and unclassified languages

This section lists extinct languages and families which have no known living relatives; while a minority of these is well known but still classified as genetically independent, the lack of attestation makes many of these hard to put into larger groups.

Name Languages Year of death Location Well-attested? Proposed parent family
Halarian language 1 5th century BCE Azerin, Barradiwa Yes Ekuo-Lahiri languages

Creoles and mixed languages

Termic creoles

Sign languages

See also: List of sign languages

The family relationships of sign languages are not well established due to a lag in linguistic research, and many are isolates. Some established sign language families include:

Sign language isolates include:

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