Producer | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (Germany) |
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Languages | English |
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Cost | Free |
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Disciplines | Linguistics |
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Website | glottolog |
Glottolog is an open-access online bibliographic database of the world's languages. In addition to listing linguistic materials (grammars, articles, dictionaries) describing individual languages, the database also contains the most up-to-date language affiliations based on the work of expert linguists.
Glottolog was first developed and maintained at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and between 2015 and 2020 at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany. Its main curators include Harald Hammarström and Martin Haspelmath.
Sebastian Nordhoff and Harald Hammarström established the Glottolog/Langdoc project in 2011. [1] [2] The creation of Glottolog was partly motivated by the lack of a comprehensive language bibliography, especially in Ethnologue . [3]
Glottolog provides a catalogue of the world's languages and language families and a bibliography on individual languages. It differs from Ethnologue in several respects:
Language names used in the bibliographic entries are identified by ISO 639-3 code or Glottolog's own code (Glottocode). External links are provided to ISO, Ethnologue and other online language databases
The latest version is 5.0, released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License in 2024.
It is part of the Cross-Linguistic Linked Data project hosted by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. [4]
Glottolog is more conservative in its classification than other databases in establishing membership of languages and families given its strict criteria for postulating larger groupings. On the other hand, the database is more permissive in terms of considering unclassified languages as isolates. Edition 4.8 lists 421 spoken language [note 2] families and isolates as follows: [5]
Name | Region [note 3] | Languages |
---|---|---|
Atlantic-Congo | Africa | 1,410 |
Austronesian | Africa, Eurasia, Oceania, South America | 1,272 |
Indo-European | Africa, Australia, Eurasia, North America, Oceania, South America | 585 |
Sino-Tibetan | Eurasia | 506 |
Afro-Asiatic | Africa, Eurasia | 382 |
Nuclear Trans New Guinea | Oceania | 317 |
Pama-Nyungan | Australia, Oceania | 250 |
Otomanguean | North America | 181 |
Austroasiatic | Eurasia | 158 |
Tai-Kadai | Eurasia | 96 |
Dravidian | Eurasia | 82 |
Arawakan | North America, South America | 77 |
Mande | Africa | 75 |
Tupian | South America | 70 |
Uto-Aztecan | North America | 68 |
Central Sudanic | Africa | 63 |
Nilotic | Africa | 56 |
Nuclear Torricelli | Oceania | 55 |
Uralic | Eurasia | 49 |
Algic | North America | 47 |
Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | North America | 46 |
Pano-Tacanan | South America | 45 |
Quechuan | South America | 43 |
Turkic | Eurasia | 43 |
Cariban | South America | 42 |
Hmong-Mien | Eurasia | 42 |
Kru | Africa | 38 |
Nakh-Daghestanian | Eurasia | 36 |
Sepik | Oceania | 36 |
Mayan | North America | 34 |
Lower Sepik-Ramu | Oceania | 30 |
Nuclear-Macro-Je | South America | 29 |
Chibchan | North America, South America | 27 |
Tucanoan | South America | 26 |
Salishan | North America | 25 |
Timor-Alor-Pantar | Oceania | 23 |
Dogon | Africa | 20 |
Lakes Plain | Oceania | 20 |
Mixe-Zoque | North America | 19 |
Ta-Ne-Omotic | Africa | 19 |
Yam | Oceania | 19 |
Siouan | North America | 18 |
Anim | Oceania | 17 |
Japonic | Eurasia, Oceania | 17 |
Mongolic-Khitan | Eurasia | 17 |
Border | Oceania | 15 |
North Halmahera | Oceania | 15 |
Tungusic | Eurasia | 15 |
Khoe-Kwadi | Africa | 14 |
Angan | Oceania | 13 |
Eskimo-Aleut | Eurasia, North America | 13 |
Miwok-Costanoan | North America | 13 |
Ndu | Oceania | 13 |
Nubian | Africa | 13 |
Tor-Orya | Oceania | 13 |
Totonacan | North America | 13 |
Chapacuran | South America | 12 |
Gunwinyguan | Australia | 12 |
Cochimi-Yuman | North America | 11 |
Iroquoian | North America | 11 |
Sko | Oceania | 11 |
Surmic | Africa | 11 |
Western Daly | Australia | 11 |
Geelvink Bay | Oceania | 10 |
Great Andamanese | Eurasia, Oceania | 10 |
Heibanic | Africa | 10 |
Ijoid | Africa | 10 |
Maban | Africa | 10 |
Nyulnyulan | Australia | 10 |
Saharan | Africa | 10 |
Songhay | Africa | 10 |
South Bougainville | Oceania | 10 |
Worrorran | Australia | 10 |
Chocoan | South America | 9 |
Dagan | Oceania | 9 |
Tuu | Africa | 9 |
Greater Kwerba | Oceania | 8 |
Kiowa-Tanoan | North America | 8 |
Koiarian | Oceania | 8 |
Mailuan | Oceania | 8 |
Narrow Talodi | Africa | 8 |
Bosavi | Oceania | 7 |
Chukotko-Kamchatkan | Eurasia | 7 |
Dajuic | Africa | 7 |
Huitotoan | South America | 7 |
Matacoan | South America | 7 |
Muskogean | North America | 7 |
Pomoan | North America | 7 |
Arawan | South America | 6 |
Baining | Oceania | 6 |
Barbacoan | South America | 6 |
Chumashan | North America | 6 |
East Strickland | Oceania | 6 |
Kadugli-Krongo | Africa | 6 |
Kiwaian | Oceania | 6 |
Left May | Oceania | 6 |
Lengua-Mascoy | South America | 6 |
Nambiquaran | South America | 6 |
South Bird's Head Family | Oceania | 6 |
Wakashan | North America | 6 |
Yanomamic | South America | 6 |
Zaparoan | South America | 6 |
Abkhaz-Adyge | Eurasia | 5 |
Arafundi | Oceania | 5 |
Caddoan | North America | 5 |
Eleman | Oceania | 5 |
Guahiboan | South America | 5 |
Guaicuruan | South America | 5 |
Kartvelian | Eurasia | 5 |
Keram | Oceania | 5 |
Koman | Africa | 5 |
Kxa | Africa | 5 |
Mirndi | Australia | 5 |
Misumalpan | North America | 5 |
Nimboranic | Oceania | 5 |
Pauwasi | Oceania | 5 |
Sahaptian | North America | 5 |
South Omotic | Africa | 5 |
West Bird's Head | Oceania | 5 |
Xincan | North America | 5 |
Yareban | Oceania | 5 |
Yeniseian | Eurasia | 5 |
Yuat | Oceania | 5 |
Aymaran | South America | 4 |
Blue Nile Mao | Africa | 4 |
Chicham | South America | 4 |
Chinookan | North America | 4 |
Chonan | South America | 4 |
Eastern Jebel | Africa | 4 |
Eastern Trans-Fly | Oceania | 4 |
Huavean | North America | 4 |
Iwaidjan Proper | Australia | 4 |
Kamakanan | South America | 4 |
Kunimaipan | Oceania | 4 |
Maiduan | North America | 4 |
Mangarrayi-Maran | Australia | 4 |
Maningrida | Australia | 4 |
Naduhup | South America | 4 |
North Bougainville | Oceania | 4 |
Sentanic | Oceania | 4 |
Shastan | North America | 4 |
Suki-Gogodala | Oceania | 4 |
Tamaic | Africa | 4 |
Tangkic | Australia | 4 |
Turama-Kikori | Oceania | 4 |
Walioic | Oceania | 4 |
Yokutsan | North America | 4 |
Yukaghir | Eurasia | 4 |
Ainu | Eurasia | 3 |
Bororoan | South America | 3 |
Bulaka River | Oceania | 3 |
Charruan | South America | 3 |
Dizoid | Africa | 3 |
East Bird's Head | Oceania | 3 |
Giimbiyu | Australia | 3 |
Gumuz | Africa | 3 |
Jarrakan | Australia | 3 |
Kalapuyan | North America | 3 |
Kamula-Elevala | Oceania | 3 |
Katla-Tima | Africa | 3 |
Kawesqar | South America | 3 |
Kayagaric | Oceania | 3 |
Kolopom | Oceania | 3 |
Kresh-Aja | Africa | 3 |
Kuliak | Africa | 3 |
Kwalean | Oceania | 3 |
Lepki-Murkim-Kembra | Oceania | 3 |
Mairasic | Oceania | 3 |
Peba-Yagua | South America | 3 |
Saliban | South America | 3 |
Tequistlatecan | North America | 3 |
Tsimshian | North America | 3 |
West Bomberai | Oceania | 3 |
Western Tasmanian | Australia | 3 |
Yangmanic | Australia | 3 |
Zamucoan | South America | 3 |
Amto-Musan | Oceania | 2 |
Araucanian | South America | 2 |
Baibai-Fas | Oceania | 2 |
Bayono-Awbono | Oceania | 2 |
Bogia | Oceania | 2 |
Boran | South America | 2 |
Bunaban | Australia | 2 |
Cahuapanan | South America | 2 |
Chimakuan | North America | 2 |
Chiquitano | South America | 2 |
Coosan | North America | 2 |
Doso-Turumsa | Oceania | 2 |
East Kutubu | Oceania | 2 |
Eastern Daly | Australia | 2 |
Furan | Africa | 2 |
Garrwan | Australia | 2 |
Haida | North America | 2 |
Harakmbut | South America | 2 |
Hatam-Mansim | Oceania | 2 |
Hibito-Cholon | South America | 2 |
Huarpean | South America | 2 |
Hurro-Urartian | Eurasia | 2 |
Inanwatan | Oceania | 2 |
Jarawa-Onge | Eurasia | 2 |
Jicaquean | North America | 2 |
Kakua-Nukak | South America | 2 |
Katukinan | South America | 2 |
Kaure-Kosare | Oceania | 2 |
Keresan | North America | 2 |
Konda-Yahadian | Oceania | 2 |
Koreanic | Eurasia | 2 |
Kwomtari-Nai | Oceania | 2 |
Lencan | North America | 2 |
Limilngan-Wulna | Australia | 2 |
Manubaran | Oceania | 2 |
Marrku-Wurrugu | Australia | 2 |
Mombum-Koneraw | Oceania | 2 |
Namla-Tofanma | Oceania | 2 |
Nivkh | Eurasia | 2 |
North-Eastern Tasmanian | Australia | 2 |
Northern Daly | Australia | 2 |
Nyimang | Africa | 2 |
Otomaco-Taparita | South America | 2 |
Pahoturi | Oceania | 2 |
Palaihnihan | North America | 2 |
Piawi | Oceania | 2 |
Puri-Coroado | South America | 2 |
Rashad | Africa | 2 |
Senagi | Oceania | 2 |
Somahai | Oceania | 2 |
South-Eastern Tasmanian | Australia | 2 |
Southern Daly | Australia | 2 |
Tarascan | North America | 2 |
Taulil-Butam | Oceania | 2 |
Teberan | Oceania | 2 |
Temeinic | Africa | 2 |
Ticuna-Yuri | South America | 2 |
Uru-Chipaya | South America | 2 |
Wintuan | North America | 2 |
Yawa-Saweru | Oceania | 2 |
Yuki-Wappo | North America | 2 |
Abinomn | Oceania | 1 |
Abun | Oceania | 1 |
Adai | North America | 1 |
Aewa | South America | 1 |
Aikanã | South America | 1 |
Alsea-Yaquina | North America | 1 |
Andaqui | South America | 1 |
Andoque | South America | 1 |
Anem | Oceania | 1 |
Arutani | South America | 1 |
Asabano | Oceania | 1 |
Atacame | South America | 1 |
Atakapa | North America | 1 |
Bangime | Africa | 1 |
Basque | Eurasia | 1 |
Beothuk | North America | 1 |
Berta | Africa | 1 |
Betoi-Jirara | South America | 1 |
Bilua | Oceania | 1 |
Bogaya | Oceania | 1 |
Burmeso | Oceania | 1 |
Burushaski | Eurasia | 1 |
Camsá | South America | 1 |
Candoshi-Shapra | South America | 1 |
Canichana | South America | 1 |
Cayubaba | South America | 1 |
Cayuse | North America | 1 |
Chimariko | North America | 1 |
Chitimacha | North America | 1 |
Chono | South America | 1 |
Coahuilteco | North America | 1 |
Cofán | South America | 1 |
Comecrudan | North America | 1 |
Cotoname | North America | 1 |
Cuitlatec | North America | 1 |
Culli | South America | 1 |
Damal | Oceania | 1 |
Dem | Oceania | 1 |
Dibiyaso | Oceania | 1 |
Duna | Oceania | 1 |
Elamite | Eurasia | 1 |
Elseng | Oceania | 1 |
Esselen | North America | 1 |
Etruscan | Eurasia | 1 |
Fasu | Oceania | 1 |
Fulniô | South America | 1 |
Fuyug | Oceania | 1 |
Gaagudju | Australia | 1 |
Guachi | South America | 1 |
Guaicurian | North America | 1 |
Guamo | South America | 1 |
Guató | South America | 1 |
Gule | Africa | 1 |
Guriaso | Oceania | 1 |
Hadza | Africa | 1 |
Hattic | Eurasia | 1 |
Hoti | South America | 1 |
Hruso | Eurasia | 1 |
Iberian | Eurasia | 1 |
Irántxe-Münkü | South America | 1 |
Itonama | South America | 1 |
Jalaa | Africa | 1 |
Jirajaran | South America | 1 |
Kaki Ae | Oceania | 1 |
Kanoê | South America | 1 |
Kapori | Oceania | 1 |
Karami | Oceania | 1 |
Karankawa | North America | 1 |
Kariri | South America | 1 |
Karok | North America | 1 |
Kehu | Oceania | 1 |
Kenaboi | Eurasia | 1 |
Kibiri | Oceania | 1 |
Kimki | Oceania | 1 |
Klamath-Modoc | North America | 1 |
Kol (Papua New Guinea) | Oceania | 1 |
Kujarge | Africa | 1 |
Kunama | Africa | 1 |
Kungarakany | Australia | 1 |
Kunza | South America | 1 |
Kuot | Oceania | 1 |
Kusunda | Eurasia | 1 |
Kutenai | North America | 1 |
Kwaza | South America | 1 |
Laal | Africa | 1 |
Lafofa | Africa | 1 |
Laragia | Australia | 1 |
Lavukaleve | Oceania | 1 |
Leco | South America | 1 |
Lule | South America | 1 |
Máku | South America | 1 |
Maratino | North America | 1 |
Marori | Oceania | 1 |
Massep | Oceania | 1 |
Matanawí | South America | 1 |
Mato Grosso Arára | South America | 1 |
Mawes | Oceania | 1 |
Maybrat-Karon | Oceania | 1 |
Meroitic | Africa | 1 |
Mimi-Gaudefroy | Africa | 1 |
Minkin | Australia | 1 |
Mochica | South America | 1 |
Molale | North America | 1 |
Molof | Oceania | 1 |
Mor (Bomberai Peninsula) | Oceania | 1 |
Mosetén-Chimané | South America | 1 |
Movima | South America | 1 |
Mpur | Oceania | 1 |
Muniche | South America | 1 |
Mure | South America | 1 |
Nara | Africa | 1 |
Natchez | North America | 1 |
Nihali | Eurasia | 1 |
Odiai | Oceania | 1 |
Omurano | South America | 1 |
Ongota | Africa | 1 |
Oti | South America | 1 |
Oyster Bay-Big River-Little Swanport | Australia | 1 |
Páez | South America | 1 |
Pankararú | South America | 1 |
Papi | Oceania | 1 |
Pawaia | Oceania | 1 |
Payagua | South America | 1 |
Pele-Ata | Oceania | 1 |
Pirahã | South America | 1 |
Puelche | South America | 1 |
Puinave | South America | 1 |
Pumé | South America | 1 |
Puquina | South America | 1 |
Purari | Oceania | 1 |
Pyu | Oceania | 1 |
Ramanos | South America | 1 |
Salinan | North America | 1 |
Sandawe | Africa | 1 |
Sapé | South America | 1 |
Sause | Oceania | 1 |
Savosavo | Oceania | 1 |
Sechuran | South America | 1 |
Seri | North America | 1 |
Shabo | Africa | 1 |
Shom Peng | Eurasia | 1 |
Siamou | Africa | 1 |
Siuslaw | North America | 1 |
Sulka | Oceania | 1 |
Sumerian | Eurasia | 1 |
Tabo | Oceania | 1 |
Taiap | Oceania | 1 |
Takelma | North America | 1 |
Tallán | South America | 1 |
Tambora | Oceania | 1 |
Tanahmerah | Oceania | 1 |
Taruma | South America | 1 |
Tauade | Oceania | 1 |
Taushiro | South America | 1 |
Timote-Cuica | South America | 1 |
Timucua | North America | 1 |
Tinigua | South America | 1 |
Tiwi | Australia | 1 |
Tonkawa | North America | 1 |
Touo | Oceania | 1 |
Trumai | South America | 1 |
Tunica | North America | 1 |
Tuxá | South America | 1 |
Umbugarla | Australia | 1 |
Urarina | South America | 1 |
Usku | Oceania | 1 |
Vilela | South America | 1 |
Wadjiginy | Australia | 1 |
Wageman | Australia | 1 |
Waorani | South America | 1 |
Warao | South America | 1 |
Washo | North America | 1 |
Wiru | Oceania | 1 |
Xukurú | South America | 1 |
Yale | Oceania | 1 |
Yámana | South America | 1 |
Yana | North America | 1 |
Yele | Oceania | 1 |
Yerakai | Oceania | 1 |
Yetfa | Oceania | 1 |
Yuchi | North America | 1 |
Yuracaré | South America | 1 |
Yurumanguí | South America | 1 |
Zuni | North America | 1 |
Creoles are classified with the language that supplied their basic lexicon.
In addition to the families and isolates listed above, Glottolog uses several non-genealogical families for various languages: [6]
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It was first issued in 1951, and is now published by SIL International, an American evangelical Christian non-profit organization.
Trans–New Guinea (TNG) is an extensive family of Papuan languages spoken on the island of New Guinea and neighboring islands, a region corresponding to the country Papua New Guinea as well as parts of Indonesia.
The Papuan languages are the non-Austronesian languages spoken on the western Pacific island of New Guinea, as well as neighbouring islands in Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and East Timor. It is a strictly geographical grouping, and does not imply a genetic relationship.
An unclassified language is a language whose genetic affiliation to other languages has not been established. Languages can be unclassified for a variety of reasons, mostly due to a lack of reliable data but sometimes due to the confounding influence of language contact, if different layers of its vocabulary or morphology point in different directions and it is not clear which represents the ancestral form of the language. Some poorly known extinct languages, such as Gutian and Cacán, are simply unclassifiable, and it is unlikely the situation will ever change.
This is a list of different language classification proposals developed for the Indigenous languages of the Americas or Amerindian languages. The article is divided into North, Central, and South America sections; however, the classifications do not correspond to these divisions.
The South Bougainville or East Bougainville languages are a small language family spoken on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. They were classified as East Papuan languages by Stephen Wurm, but this does not now seem tenable, and was abandoned in Ethnologue (2009).
The Eleman languages are a family spoken around Kerema Bay, Papua New Guinea.
The Duna–Pogaya (Duna–Bogaia) languages are a proposed small family of Trans–New Guinea languages in the classification of Voorhoeve (1975), Ross (2005) and Usher (2018), consisting of two languages, Duna and Bogaya, which in turn form a branch of the larger Trans–New Guinea family. Glottolog, which is based largely on Usher, however finds the connections between the two languages to be tenuous, and the connection to TNG unconvincing.
The Ngbandi language is a dialect continuum of the Ubangian family spoken by a half-million or so people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Central African Republic. It is primarily spoken by the Ngbandi people, which included the dictator of what was then known as Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko.
The Orya–Tor languages are a family of just over a dozen Papuan languages spoken in Western New Guinea, Indonesia.
The Marañón River basin, at a low point in the Andes which made it an attractive location for trade between the Inca Empire and the Amazon basin, once harbored numerous languages which have been poorly attested or not attested at all. Those of the middle reaches of the river, above the Amazon basin, were replaced in historical times by Aguaruna, a Jivaroan language from the Amazon which is still spoken there. The languages further upriver are difficult to identify, due to lack of data. The region was multilingual at the time of the Conquest, and the people largely switched to Spanish rather than to Quechua, though Quechua also expanded during Colonial times.
Manta is a Grassfields language of Cameroon.
Senara (Niangolo), one of a cluster of languages called Senari, is a Senufo language of Burkina Faso and Mali.
Kĕnaboi is an extinct unclassified language of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia that may be a language isolate or an Austroasiatic language belonging to the Aslian branch. It is attested in what appears to be two dialects, based on word lists of about 250 lexical items, presumably collected around 1870–90.
Parsi has been used as a name for several languages of South Asia and Iran, some of them spurious:
Spurious languages are languages that have been reported as existing in reputable works, while other research has reported that the language in question did not exist. Some spurious languages have been proven to not exist. Others have very little evidence supporting their existence, and have been dismissed in later scholarship. Others still are of uncertain existence due to limited research.
Hatam–Mansim is a small language family of Western New Guinea, consisting of two languages:
Harald Hammarström is a Swedish linguist. He is currently an Associate Senior Lecturer at Uppsala University. Hammarström is especially known for his extensive work on curating Glottolog, a bibliographic database of the world's languages.