List of language families

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Contents 1 Major language families 1.1 By number of native speakers 1.2 By variety 2 Language families 2.1 Africa and Southwest Asia 2.2 Europe and North, West and South Asia 2.3 East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific 2.4 New Guinea and neighboring islands 2.5 Australia 2.6 North America 2.7 Central America and South America 3 Language isolates 3.1 Central & South America 3.2 North America 3.3 Australia 3.4 New Guinea 3.5 Asia 3.6 Africa 3.7 Europe 4 Unclassified languages 4.1 Europe 4.2 Africa 4.3 Asia 4.4 Australia 4.5 South America 4.6 North America 5 Mixed languages 6 Sign languages 7 Proposed language stocks 8 See also 9 External links 10 Bibliography

[edit] Major language families

[edit] By number of native speakers

This is a list of the top ten families with wide recognition as phylogenetic units, in terms of numbers of native speakers, listed with their core geographic areals.

1. Indo-European languages (Europe, Southwest to South Asia)
2. Sino-Tibetan languages (East Asia)
3. Niger-Congo languages (Sub-Saharan Africa)
4. Afro-Asiatic languages (North Africa to Horn of Africa, Southwest Asia)
5. Austronesian languages (Oceania, Madagascar)
6. Dravidian languages (South Asia)
7. Altaic languages (Asia, phylogenetic unity uncertain)
8. Austro-Asiatic languages (Southeast Asia)
9. Tai-Kadai languages (Southeast Asia)
10. Uralic languages (Northern Asia to Northern Europe)

If the Altaic grouping is rejected, Turkic and Japonic should be counted as major language families instead. The families listed above account for more than 99% of total world population.^{[citation needed]}

Phyla with wide geographical distributions historically but comparatively few contemporary speakers include Eskimo-Aleut, Na-Dené, Algic and Nilo-Saharan.

[edit] By variety

According to the numbers in Ethnologue[1], the largest language families in terms of number of languages are:

1. Niger-Congo (1,514 languages)
2. Austronesian (1,268 languages)
3. Trans-New Guinea (564 languages) (validity disputed)
4. Indo-European (449 languages)
5. Sino-Tibetan (403 languages)
6. Afro-Asiatic (375 languages)
7. Nilo-Saharan (204 languages)
8. Pama-Nyungan (178 languages) (validity disputed)
9. Oto-Manguean (174 languages) (number disputed; Lyle Campbell includes only 27)
10. Austro-Asiatic (169 languages)
11. Sepik-Ramu (100 languages) (validity disputed)
12. Tai-Kadai (76 languages)
13. Tupi (76 languages)
14. Dravidian (73 languages)
15. Mayan (69 languages)

[edit] Language families

In the following, each "bulleted" item is a known or suspected language family. The geographic headings over them are meant solely as a tool for grouping families into collections more comprehensible than an unstructured list of the dozen or two of 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.

[edit] Africa and Southwest Asia

1. Afro-Asiatic languages (formerly Hamito-Semitic)
2. Niger-Congo languages (sometimes Niger-Kordofanian)
3. Nilo-Saharan languages
4. Khoe languages (part of the Khoisan proposal)
5. Tuu languages (part of Khoisan)
6. Juu-ǂHoan languages (part of Khoisan)

[edit] Europe and North, West and South Asia

1. Indo-European languages
2. Tyrsenian languages
3. Dravidian languages
4. Northwest Caucasian languages (often included in North Caucasian)
5. Northeast Caucasian languages (often included in North Caucasian)
6. Hurro-Urartian languages (extinct, perhaps related to Northeast Caucasian)
7. South Caucasian languages
8. Turkic languages
9. Mongolic languages
10. Tungusic languages
11. Uralic languages
12. Yukaghir languages
13. Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
14. Dené-Yeniseian languages

[edit] East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific

1. Andamanese languages (perhaps two families)
2. Austro-Asiatic languages
3. Austronesian languages
4. Hmong-Mien languages
5. Japonic languages
6. Sino-Tibetan languages
7. Tai-Kadai languages

[edit] New Guinea and neighboring islands

Main article: Papuan languages

1. Baining languages
2. Border languages
3. Central Solomons languages
4. East Bird's Head-Sentani languages
5. Eastern Trans-Fly languages (one in Australia)
6. East Geelvink Bay languages
7. Kazukuru languages
8. Lakes Plain languages (upper Mamberamo River)
9. Left May-Kwomtari languages
10. Mairasi languages
11. Nimboran languages
12. North Bougainville languages
13. Piawi languages
14. Ramu-Lower Sepik languages
15. Senagi languages
16. Sepik languages
17. Skou languages
18. South Bougainville languages
19. South-Central Papuan languages
20. Tor-Kwerba languages
21. Torricelli languages
22. West New Britain languages
23. West Papuan languages
24. Yuat languages

[edit] Australia

Main article: Indigenous Australian languages

1. Bunaban languages
2. Daly languages
3. Limilngan languages
4. Djeragan languages
5. Nyulnyulan languages
6. Wororan languages
7. Mindi languages
8. Arnhem Land languages (3 families and 2 isolates)
9. Gunwinyguan languages
10. Pama-Nyungan languages

[edit] North America

Main article: Indigenous languages of the Americas

1. Algic languages (incl. Algonquian languages) (29)
2. Alsean languages (2)
3. Caddoan languages (5)
4. Chimakuan languages (2)
5. Chinookan languages (3)
6. Chumashan languages (6)
7. Comecrudan languages (3)
8. Coosan languages (2)
9. Dené-Yeniseian languages (40 in North America, 1 in Asia)
10. Eskimo-Aleut languages (7)
11. Guaicuruan languages (a.k.a. Waikurian) (8)
12. Iroquoian languages (11)
13. Kalapuyan languages (3)
14. Kiowa-Tanoan languages (7)
15. Maiduan languages (4)
16. Mayan languages (North & Central America) (31)
17. Mixe-Zoquean languages (North America) (19)
18. Muskogean languages (6)
19. Oto-Manguean languages (North & Central America) (27)
20. Palaihnihan languages (2)
21. Plateau Penutian languages (a.k.a. Shahapwailutan) (4)
22. Pomoan languages (7)
23. Salishan languages (23)
24. Shastan languages (4)
25. Siouan languages (16)
26. Tequistlatecan languages (3)
27. Totonacan languages (2)
28. Tsimshian languages (2)
29. Utian languages (12)
30. Uto-Aztecan languages (31)
31. Wakashan languages (6)
32. Wintuan languages (4)
33. Yokutsan languages (3)
34. Yukian languages (2)
35. Yuman-Cochimí languages (11)

[edit] Central America and South America

Main article: Indigenous languages of the Americas

1. Alacalufan languages (South America) (2)
2. Algic languages (North & Central America) (29)
3. Arauan languages (South America) (8)
4. Araucanian languages (South America) (2)
5. Arawakan languages (South America & Caribbean) (73)
6. Arutani-Sape languages (South America) (2)
7. Aymaran languages (South America) (3)
8. Barbacoan languages (South America) (7)
9. Cahuapanan languages (South America) (2)
10. Carib languages (South America) (29)
11. Chapacura-Wanham languages (South America) (5)
12. Chibchan languages (Central & South America) (22)
13. Choco languages (South America) (10)
14. Chon languages (South America) (2)
15. Comecrudan languages (North & Central America) (3)
16. Guaicuruan languages (a.k.a. Waikurian) (8)
17. Harakmbet languages (South America) (2)
18. Ge languages (South America) (13)
19. Jicaquean languages (Central America)
20. Jivaroan languages (South America) (4)
21. Katukinan languages (South America) (3)
22. Lencan languages (Central America)
23. Lule-Vilela languages (South America) (1)
24. Macro-Ge languages (South America) (32)
25. Maku languages (South America) (6)
26. Mascoian languages (South America) (5)
27. Mashakalian languages (South America)
28. Mataco-Guaicuru languages (South America) (11)
29. Mayan languages (North & Central America) (31)
30. Misumalpan languages (Central America) (9)
31. Mosetenan languages (South America) (1)
32. Mura languages (South America) (1)
33. Nambiquaran languages (South America) (5)
34. Oto-Manguean languages (North & Central America) (27)
35. Paezan languages (South America) (1)
36. Panoan languages (South America) (30)
37. Peba-Yaguan languages (South America) (2)
38. Quechuan languages (South America) (46)
39. Salivan languages (South America) (2)
40. Tacanan languages (South America) (6)
41. Tequistlatecan languages (Central America) (3)
42. Tucanoan languages (South America) (25)
43. Tupi languages (South America) (70)
44. Uru-Chipaya languages (South America) (2)
45. Uto-Aztecan languages (North & Central America) (31)
46. Witotoan languages (South America) (6)
47. Xincan languages (Central America)
48. Yanomam languages (South America) (4)
49. Yuman-Cochimi languages (North & Central America) (11)
50. Zamucoan languages (South America) (2)
51. Zaparoan languages (South America) (7)

[edit] Language isolates

[edit] Central & South America

1. Aikaná (Brazil: Rondônia)
2. Andoque (Colombia, Peru)
3. Aymara (Peru, Bolivia)
4. Betoi (Colombia)
5. Camsá (Colombia)
6. Canichana (Bolivia)
7. Cayubaba (Bolivia)
8. Cofán (Colombia, Ecuador)
9. Huaorani (a.k.a. Sabela, Waorani, Waodani) (Ecuador, Peru)
10. Irantxe (Brazil: Mato Grosso)
11. Itonama (Bolivia)
12. Jotí (Venezuela)
13. Koayá (Brazil: Rondônia)
14. Mapudungun (Chile, Argentina)
15. Movima (Bolivia)
16. Munichi (Peru)
17. Nambiquaran (Brazil: Mato Grosso)
18. Omurano (Peru)
19. Otí (Brazil: São Paulo) [extinct]
20. Pankararú (Brazil: Pernambuco)
21. Puelche (Argentina,Chile)
22. Puinave (Colombia)
23. Puquina (Bolivia) [extinct]
24. Quechua (Peru)
25. Taushiro (Peru)
26. Tequiraca (Peru)
27. Ticuna (Colombia, Peru, Brazil)
28. Warao (Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela)
29. Yámana (a.k.a Yagan) (Chile)
30. Yuracare (Bolivia)
31. Yuri (Colombia, Brazil)
32. Yurumanguí (Colombia)

[edit] North America

1. Chimariko (US: California)
2. Chitimacha (US: Louisiana)
3. Coahuilteco (US: Texas, northeast Mexico)
4. Cuitlatec (Mexico: Guerrero) [extinct]
5. Esselen (US: California)
6. Haida (Canada: British Columbia; US: Alaska)
7. Huave (Mexico: Oaxaca)
8. Karankawa (US: Texas) [extinct]
9. Karok (a.k.a. Karuk) (US: California)
10. Keres (US: New Mexico)
11. Kootenai (Canada: British Columbia; US: Idaho, Montana)
12. Natchez (US: Mississippi, Louisiana) (sometimes linked to Muskogean)
13. P'urhépecha (a.k.a. Tarascan) (Mexico: Michoacán)
14. Salinan (US: California)
15. Seri (Mexico: Sonora)
16. Siuslaw (US: Oregon)
17. Takelma (US: Oregon)
18. Timucua (US: Florida, Georgia)
19. Tonkawa (US: Texas) [extinct]
20. Tunica (US: Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas)
21. Washo (US: California, Nevada)
22. Yana (US: California)
23. Yuchi (US: Georgia, Oklahoma)
24. Zuni (a.k.a. Shiwi) (US: New Mexico)

[edit] Australia

1. Enindhilyagwa (AKA Andilyaugwa, Anindilyakwa)
2. Laragiya
3. Minkin [extinct; perhaps a member of Yiwaidjan or Tankic]
4. Ngurmbur (perhaps a member of Macro-Pama-Nyungan)
5. Tiwi (Melville and Bathurst Islands)

[edit] New Guinea

1. Abinomn (Baso, Foia) (north Irian)
2. Anêm (New Britain)
3. Ata (Pele-Ata, Wasi) (New Britain)
4. Busa (Sandaun)
5. Isirawa (north Irian)
6. Kol (New Britain)
7. Kuot (Panaras) (New Ireland)
8. Massep
9. Kwotari-Baibai (a.k.a. Pyu)
10. Sulka (New Britain)
11. Taiap (Gapun) (Sepik)
12. Yalë (Nagatman) (Sandaun)
13. Yawa (Geelvink Bay)
14. Yélî Dnye (Yele) (Rennell Island)
15. Yuri (Karkar) (Sandaun)

[edit] Asia

1. Ainu language or languages (Japan, Russia) (like Arabic or Japanese, the diversity within Ainu is large enough that some consider it to be perhaps up to a dozen languages while others consider it a single language with high dialectal diversity)
2. Nivkh or Gilyak (Russia) (sometimes linked to Chukchi-Kamchatkan)
3. Korean (North & South Korea, China, USA) (sometimes linked to Altaic; its dialect Jeju is often considered a different language)
4. Kusunda (Nepal)
5. Kalto or Nihali (India) (sometimes linked to Munda)
6. Burushaski (Pakistan, India) (sometimes linked to Yeniseian)
7. Elamite (Iran) [extinct] (sometimes linked to Dravidian)
8. Sumerian (Iraq) [extinct]
9. Hattic (Turkey) [extinct] (sometimes linked to Northwest Caucasian)
10. Shompen (Nicobar Island) (little known; appears to be two languages)

[edit] Africa

1. Hadza (Tanzania)
2. Sandawe (Tanzania) (may be related to Khoe)

[edit] Europe

1. Basque (Spain, France) (related to extinct Aquitanian)

[edit] 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.

[edit] Europe

1. Iberian (Spain) [extinct]
2. Tartessian (Spain, Portugal) [extinct]

[edit] Africa

1. Shabo
2. Meroitic [extinct]

[edit] Asia

1. Quti [extinct]
2. Kaskian [extinct]
3. Cimmerian [extinct]

[edit] Australia

1. Tasmanian languages [extinct]

[edit] South America

1. Baenan (Brazil) [extinct]
2. Culle (Peru) [extinct]
3. Cunza (Chile, Bolivia, Argentina) [extinct]
4. Gamela (Brazil: Maranhão) [extinct]
5. Gorgotoqui (Bolivia) [extinct]
6. Huamoé (Brazil: Pernambuco) [extinct]
7. Kukurá (Brazil: Mato Grosso) [extinct]
8. Natú (Brazil: Pernambuco) [extinct]
9. Tarairiú (Brazil: Rio Grande do Norte)
10. Tuxá (Brazil: Bahia, Pernambuco) [extinct]
11. Xokó (Brazil: Alagoas, Pernambuco) [extinct]
12. Xukurú (Brazil: Pernambuco, Paraíba) [extinct]
13. Yurumanguí (Colombia) [extinct]

[edit] North America

1. Adai (US: Louisiana, Texas) [extinct]
2. Alagüilac (Guatemala)
3. Aranama-Tamique (US: Texas) [extinct]
4. Atakapa (US: Louisiana, Texas) [extinct]
5. Beothuk (Canada: Newfoundland) [extinct]
6. Calusa (US: Florida) [extinct]
7. Cayuse (US: Oregon, Washington) [extinct]
8. Cotoname (northeast Mexico; US: Texas) [extinct]
9. Maratino (northeastern Mexico) [extinct]
10. Naolan (Mexico: Tamaulipas) [extinct]
11. Quinigua (northeast Mexico) [extinct]
12. Solano (northeast Mexico; US: Texas) [extinct]

[edit] Mixed languages

Main article: Mixed languages

• Michif, a mixture of French and Cree, where the nouns and adjectives tend to be French (including agreement), and the polysynthetic verbs are entirely Cree. There are two simultaneous gender systems, French masculine/feminine as well as Cree animate/inanimate, and the Cree obviative (fourth person).
• Mednyj Aleut, a mixture of Russian and Aleut, which retains Aleut verbs but has replaced most of the inflectional endings with their Russian equivalents.
• Cappadocian Greek, comprising mostly Greek root words, but with many Turkish grammatical endings and Turkish vowel harmony, and no gender.
• Mbugu or Ma’a: an inherited Cushitic vocabulary with a borrowed Bantu inflectional system.
• Filipino, primarily Tagalog with notable influences of Spanish.

Possible examples include:

• Chiac, a mixture of Acadian French language and English language
• Wutunhua (a mixture of Chinese and Tibetan).
• Yeniche (a mixture of German, Yiddish, and Romani).
• Jopará, mixture of Guaraní and Spanish, Spanish verbs are changed to match Guaraní phonology and conjugated following Guaraní patterns.
• Riverense portuñol (Portuguese/Spanish).
• Surzhyk (a mixture of Ukrainian and Russian).

[edit] Sign languages

See also: List of sign languages

The family relationships of sign languages are not well established, and many are isolates.

[edit] Proposed language stocks

• Alarodian
• Almosan (= Sapir's Algonkin-Wakashan)
• Almosan-Keresiouan
• Algonkian-Gulf Algonquin, Algonkin
• Amerind
  • Central Amerind
• Andean
• Aztec-Tanoan
• Austric
• Chibchan-Paezan
• Coahuiltecan
• Dene-Caucasian
• Equatorial
• Eurasiatic
• Gulf
• Hokan
• Hokan-Siouan
• Ibero-Caucasian
• Indo-Pacific
• Keresiouan
• Kongo-Saharan
• Macro-Carib
• Macro-Ge
• Macro-Khoisan
• Macro-Mayan
• Macro-Panoan
• Macro-Siouan
• Macro-Tucanoan
• Mosan
• Na-Dene (Sapir's)
• Nostratic
• Nostratic-Amerind
• Penutian
• Pontic
• Thai-Kadai
• Proto-World
• Quechumaran
• Ural-Altaic
• Uralo-Siberian languages
• Wappo-Yukian

[edit] See also

• Language family
• Language families (Ethnologue)
• Auxiliary language
• Constructed language
• Endangered language
• Extinct language
• List of language families by percentage of speakers in mankind

[edit] External links

• http://www.ethnologue.com/web.asp
• http://gebaren.ugent.be
• Number of speakers by language

[edit] Bibliography

• Boas, Franz. (1911). Handbook of American Indian languages (Vol. 1). Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 40. Washington: Government Print Office (Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology).
• Boas, Franz. (1922). Handbook of American Indian languages (Vol. 2). Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 40. Washington: Government Print Office (Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology).
• Boas, Franz. (1933). Handbook of American Indian languages (Vol. 3). Native American legal materials collection, title 1227. Glückstadt: J.J. Augustin.
• Campbell, Lyle. (1997). American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
• Campbell, Lyle; & Mithun, Marianne (Eds.). (1979). The languages of native America: Historical and comparative assessment. Austin: University of Texas Press.
• Goddard, Ives (Ed.). (1996). Languages. Handbook of North American Indians (W. C. Sturtevant, General Ed.) (Vol. 17). Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-16-048774-9.
• Goddard, Ives. (1999). Native languages and language families of North America (rev. and enlarged ed. with additions and corrections). [Map]. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press (Smithsonian Institute). (Updated version of the map in Goddard 1996). ISBN 0-8032-9271-6.
• Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (Ed.). (2005). Ethnologue: Languages of the world (15th ed.). Dallas, TX: SIL International. ISBN 1-55671-159-X. (Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com).
• Greenberg, Joseph H. (1966). The Languages of Africa (2nd ed.). Bloomington: Indiana University.
• Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
• Ross, Malcom. (2005). Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages. In: Andrew Pawley, Robert Attenborough, Robin Hide and Jack Golson, eds, Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples [2]
• Ruhlen, Merritt. (1987). A guide to the world's languages. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
• Sturtevant, William C. (Ed.). (1978-present). Handbook of North American Indians (Vol. 1-20). Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. (Vols. 1-3, 16, 18-20 not yet published).
• Voegelin, C. F.; & Voegelin, F. M. (1977). Classification and index of the world's languages. New York: Elsevier.