FACTOID # 177: 61.5% of Swedes work more than 40 hours per week, but just across the border in Norway only 15.8% of people work this long.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Language families (Ethnologue)
Current distribution of Human Language Families
Current distribution of Human Language Families
Main article: Language family

Language families are groups of languages that share common features. The study of languages and their relationships is an area of active research. New relationships are constantly being proposed, with varying levels of evidence. Old theories are frequently tested, and some are discarded. SIL International is a key organization, active in both research and publication of results. They regularly publish an updated database of current thinking in Ethnologue. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1339x636, 21 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Language family ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1339x636, 21 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Language family ... A language family is a group of languages related by descent from a common proto-language. ... SIL International is a worldwide non-profit evangelical Christian organization whose main purpose is to study, develop and document lesser-known languages in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy and aid minority language development. ... Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), a Christian linguistic service organization which studies lesser-known languages primarily to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language. ...

Definitions

The following table is based on the Ethnologue language family index. Each line of the table is a group of associated languages, according to the system Ethnologue uses for classifying languages. The first column gives the Ethnologue name for the group. The second column gives the general location of the languages by continent. The third column gives a simplification of proposed relationships between families. The fourth column gives the number of languages in the group, according to the Ethnologue system of counting languages.


The boundary between North and South America is taken to be the Panama Canal, between Africa and Asia the Suez Canal, and between Europe and Asia the Bosporus strait. Australasia includes New Zealand, Australia and Pulau Papua, known in English as the island of New Guinea. Other Indonesian islands are considered part of Asia. The Caucasian language families are classified as Asian, though the Caucasus Mountains form part of the boundary between Asia and Europe. North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Two Panamax running the Miraflores Locks The Panama Canal (Spanish: ) is a major ship canal that traverses the Isthmus of Panama in Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Suez (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Satellite image of the Bosporus, taken from the International Space Station in April 2004 Bosphorus Bridge Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı or, for İstanbuls inhabitants, simply Boğaz; while the term Boğaziçi denotes those... Simplified diagram A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water, and thus lies between two land masses. ... Australasia Australasia is a term variably used to describe a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas in the Caucasus region, usually considered the southeastern limit of Europe. ...


Question marks indicate the hypothetical nature of several of the proposed super families. Detailed information regarding the evidence for the hypothesis, including references can be found by following the internal links. The Amerind languages and Papuan languages are geographically related super families. Relationships between the families listed in these particular super families are still a matter of active research. In addition to its use by social scientists to refer (broadly) to the various indigenous languages of The Americas, the term Amerind languages may controversially refer to one of the three families in Joseph H. Greenbergs classification of all Native American languages—the other two being Na-Dene... The term Papuan languages refers to those languages of the western Pacific which are neither Austronesian nor Australian. ...


Table

Family Continent Super Family Count
Afro-Asiatic Africa/Asia Afro-Asiatic 375
Alacalufan South America Amerind 2
Algic North America Amerind 44
Altaic Asia Altaic 66
Amto-Musan Australasia Papuan 2
Andamanese Asia unknown 13
Arauan South America Amerind 8
Araucanian South America Amerind 2
Arawakan South America Amerind 64
Artificial language na na 3
Arutani-Sape South America Amerind 2
Australian Australasia Australian 263
Austro-Asiatic Asia Austro-Asiatic 169
Austronesian Asia Austronesian 1268
Aymaran South America Amerind 3
Barbacoan South America Amerind 7
Basque Europe na 3
Bayono-Awbono Australasia Papuan 2
Caddoan North America Amerind 5
Cahuapanan South America Amerind 2
Cant Australasia na 1
Carib South America Amerind 32
Chapacura-Wanham South America Amerind 5
Chibchan South America Amerind 22
Chimakuan North America Amerind 2
Choco South America Amerind 12
Chon South America Amerind 2
Chukotko-Kamchatkan Asia Paleosiberian? 5
Chumash North America Amerind 7
Coahuiltecan North America Amerind 1
Creole na na 86
Deaf sign language na na 121
Dravidian Asia Dravidian 73
East Bird's Head Australasia Papuan 3
East Papuan Australasia Papuan 36
Eskimo-Aleut North America Eskimo-Aleut 11
Geelvink Bay Australasia Papuan 33
Guahiban South America Amerind 5
Gulf North America Amerind 4
Harakmbet South America Amerind 2
Hibito-Cholon South America Amerind 2
Hmong-Mien Asia Sino-Tibetan/Austro-Asiatic? 35
Hokan North America Amerind 28
Huavean North America Amerind 4
Indo-European Europe/Asia Indo-European 449
Iroquoian North America Amerind 11
Japanese Asia Altaic? 12
Jivaroan South America Amerind 4
Kartvelian Asia Basque? 5
Katukinan South America Amerind 3
Keres North America Amerind 2
Khoisan Africa Khoisan 27
Kiowa Tanoan North America Amerind 6
Kwomtari-Baibai Australasia Papuan 6
Language Isolate na na 40
Left May Australasia Papuan 6
Lower Mamberamo Australasia Papuan 2
Lule-Vilela South America Amerind 1
Macro-Ge South America Amerind 32
Maku South America Amerind 6
Mascoian South America Amerind 5
Mataco-Guaicuru South America Amerind 12
Mayan North America Amerind 69
Misumalpan North America Amerind 4
Mixed Language na na 21
Mixe-Zoque North America Amerind 17
Mura South America Amerind 1
Muskogean North America Amerind 6
Na-Dené North America Na-Dené 47
Nambiquaran South America Amerind 3
Niger-Congo Africa Niger-Congo 1514
Nilo-Saharan Africa Nilo-Saharan 204
North Caucasian Asia Dené-Caucasian? 34
Oto-Manguean North America Amerind 174
Panoan South America Amerind 28
Peba-Yaguan South America Amerind 2
Penutian North America Amerind 33
Pidgin na na 18
Quechuan South America Amerind 46
Salishan North America Amerind 27
Salivan South America Amerind 3
Sepik-Ramu Australasia Papuan 100
Sign language na na 3
Sino-Tibetan Asia Sino-Tibetan 403
Siouan North America Amerind 17
Sko Australasia Papuan 7
Subtiaba-Tlapanec North America Amerind (Oto-Manguean) 5
Tacanan South America Amerind 6
Tai-Kadai Asia Austric? 76
Tarascan North America Amerind 2
Torricelli Australasia Papuan 53
Totonacan North America Amerind 11
Trans-New Guinea Australasia Papuan 564
Tucanoan South America Amerind 25
Tupi South America Amerind 76
Unclassified na na 78
Uralic Asia/Europe Uralo-Yukaghir? 39
Uru-Chipaya South America Amerind 2
Uto-Aztecan North America Amerind 61
Wakashan North America Amerind 5
West Papuan Australasia Papuan 26
Witotoan South America Amerind 6
Yanomam South America Amerind 4
Yeniseian Asia Sino-Tibetan? 2
Yukaghir Asia Uralo-Yukaghir? 2
Yuki North America Amerind 2
Zamucoan South America Amerind 2
Zaparoan South America Amerind 7


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.