List of language families

Major language families

By number of native speakers

Distribution of major language families Afroasiatic      Berber      Chadic      Cushitic      Semitic Altaic      Japonic      Mongolic      Tungusic      Turkic Amerindian families      Algic      Je-Tupi-Carib      Mayan      Quechumaran      Uto-Aztecan      Austro-Asiatic      Austronesian      Dené-Yeniseian      Dravidian      Eskimo-Aleut      Australian families Indo-European      Albanian      Armenian Balto-Slavic      Baltic      Slavic      Celtic Germanic      North Germanic      West Germanic      Greek Indo-Iranian      Indo-Aryan      Iranian      Romance      Khoisan      Kradai      Isolate      Niger-Congo      Bantu      Nilo-Saharan      Paleosiberian families      Papuan families Sino-Tibetan      Sinitic      Tibetan      South Caucasian Uralic Finno-Ugric      Finno-Permic      Ugric      Samoyedic

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

1. Indo-European languages 46% (Europe, Southwest to South Asia, America, Oceania)
2. Sino-Tibetan languages 21% (East Asia)
3. Niger-Congo languages 6.4% (Sub-Saharan Africa)
4. Afro-Asiatic languages 6.0% (North Africa to Horn of Africa, Southwest Asia)
5. Austronesian languages 5.9% (Oceania, Madagascar, maritime Southeast Asia)
6. Dravidian languages 3.7% (South Asia)
7. Altaic languages 2.3% (Central Asia, Northern Asia, Anatolia, Siberia)
8. Japonic languages 2.1% (Japan)
9. Austro-Asiatic languages 1.7% (mainland Southeast Asia)
10. Tai-Kadai languages 1.3% (Southeast Asia)

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

By number of languages

According to the numbers in Ethnologue, the largest language families in terms of number of languages are the following. Some families are controversial, and in many the language count varies between researchers.

1. Niger-Congo (1532 languages)
2. Austronesian (1257 languages)
3. Trans–New Guinea (477 languages)
4. Sino-Tibetan (449 languages)
5. Indo-European (439 languages)
6. Afro-Asiatic (374 languages)
7. Nilo-Saharan (205 languages) [controversial]
8. Pama-Nyungan (178 languages) [lumped in with "Australian"]
9. Oto-Manguean (177 languages) (number varies; Lyle Campbell counts 27)
10. Austro-Asiatic (169 languages)
11. Kradai (92 languages)
12. Dravidian (85 languages)
13. Tupian (76 languages)

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 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.

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)
7. Ubangian languages
8. Mande languages (perhaps Niger-Congo)
9. Songhay languages
10. Kadu languages
11. Koman languages (perhaps Nilo-Saharan)

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 (part of the Altaic proposal)
9. Mongolic languages (part of Altaic)
10. Tungusic languages (part of Altaic)
11. Uralic languages
12. Yukaghir languages
13. Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
14. Dené-Yeniseian languages

East Asia, Southeast Asia, North East India and the Pacific

1. Austro-Asiatic languages
2. Austronesian languages (part of the Austro-Tai proposal)
3. Great Andamanese languages (part of the Andamanese proposal)
4. Hmong-Mien languages
5. Japonic languages (part of an expanded Altaic proposal)
6. Ongan languages (part of the Andamanese proposal)
7. Sino-Tibetan languages
8. Tai-Kadai languages (part of Austro-Tai proposal)

New Guinea and neighboring islands

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. Fas languages
7. East Geelvink Bay languages
8. Lakes Plain languages (upper Mamberamo River)
9. Left May languages
10. Kwomtari languages
11. Mairasi languages
12. Nimboran languages
13. North Bougainville languages
14. Piawi languages
15. Ramu-Lower Sepik languages
16. Senagi languages
17. Sepik languages
18. Skou languages
19. South Bougainville languages
20. South-Central Papuan languages
21. Tor-Kwerba languages
22. Torricelli languages
23. Trans–New Guinea (the largest family)
24. West New Britain languages
25. West Papuan languages
26. Yuat languages

Australia

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

North America and Mesoamerica

Distribution of language families and isolates north of Mexico at first contact.

1. Algic languages (incl. Algonquian languages) (14)
2. Alsean languages (0)
3. Caddoan languages (4)
4. Chimakuan languages (1)
5. Chinookan languages (1)
6. Chumashan languages (0)
7. Comecrudan languages (0)
8. Coosan languages (0)
9. Dené-Yeniseian languages (40 in North America, 1 in Asia)
10. Eskimo-Aleut languages (5)
11. Iroquoian languages (7)
12. Kalapuyan languages (0)
13. Keres languages (2)
14. Kiowa-Tanoan languages (6)
15. Maiduan languages (3)
16. Mayan languages (Mesoamerica) (31)
17. Mixe-Zoquean languages (Mesoamerica) (19)
18. Muskogean languages (5)
19. Oto-Manguean languages (Mesoamerica) (27)
20. Palaihnihan languages (1)
21. Plateau Penutian languages (a.k.a. Shahapwailutan) (3)
22. Pomoan languages (5)
23. Salishan languages (16)
24. Shastan languages (0)
25. Siouan-Catawban (10)
26. Tequistlatecan languages (Mesoamerica) (2)
27. Totonacan languages (Mesoamerica) (2)
28. Tsimshian languages (3)
29. Utian languages (5)
30. Uto-Aztecan languages (North America & Mesoamerica) (31)
31. Wakashan languages (7)
32. Wintuan languages (1)
33. Yokutsan languages (1)
34. Yukian languages (0)
35. Yuman-Cochimí languages (10)

Central America and South America

1. Alacalufan languages (2)
2. Arauan languages (8)
3. Araucanian languages (2)
4. Arawakan languages (South America & Caribbean) (73)
5. Arutani-Sape languages (2)
6. Aymaran languages (3)
7. Barbacoan languages (7)
8. Cahuapanan languages (2)
9. Carib languages (29)
10. Catacaoan languages (0)
11. Chapacura-Wanham languages (5)
12. Chibchan languages (Central & South America) (22)
13. Chimuan languages (0)
14. Choco languages (10)
15. Chon languages (2)
16. Esmerelda-Yaruro (2)
17. Guaicuruan languages (a.k.a. Waikurian) (8)
18. Hibito-Cholón (0)
19. Hodï (2)
20. Ge languages (13)
21. Jicaquean languages (Central America)
22. Jirajaran languages (0)
23. Jivaroan languages (4)
24. Katembri-Taruma languages (0)
25. Katukinan languages (3)
26. Lencan languages (Central America)
27. Lule-Vilela languages (1)
28. Mascoian languages (5)
29. Mashakalian languages
30. Matacoan languages (4)
31. Misumalpan languages (Central America) (9)
32. Mosetenan languages (1)
33. Mura languages (1)
34. Nambiquaran languages (5)
35. Otomakoan languages ? (3)
36. Pano-Tacanan languages (36)
37. Peba-Yaguan languages (2)
38. Puinavean languages (Maku) (9)
39. Quechuan languages (46)
40. Salivan languages (2)
41. Tequiraca-Canichana (2)
42. Tucanoan languages (25)
43. Tupi languages (70)
44. Uru-Chipaya languages (2)
45. Witotoan languages (6)
46. Xincan languages (Central America)
47. Yabutian languages (2)
48. Yanomam languages (4)
49. Zamucoan languages (2)
50. Zaparoan languages (7)

Language isolates

Central & South America

1. Abishira
2. Aikaná (Brazil: Rondônia)
3. Andoque (Colombia, Peru)
4. Betoi (Colombia)
5. Camsá (Colombia)
6. Candoshi-Shapra (Peru)
7. Cayubaba (Bolivia)
8. Cofán (Colombia, Ecuador)
9. Fulniô
10. Guató (Brazil, Bolivia)
11. Huaorani (a.k.a. Sabela, Waorani, Waodani) (Ecuador, Peru)
12. Irantxe (Brazil: Mato Grosso)
13. Itonama (Bolivia)
14. Kapixaná (Brazil)
15. Koayá (Brazil: Rondônia)
16. Kukurá
17. Leco (Bolivia)
18. Mapudungun (Chile, Argentina)
19. Movima (Bolivia)
20. Omurano (Peru)
21. Otí (Brazil: São Paulo) [extinct]
22. Paez (see also Paezan)
23. Pankararú (Brazil: Pernambuco)
24. Puelche (Argentina,Chile)
25. Puquina (Bolivia) [extinct]
26. Taushiro (Peru)
27. Ticuna (Colombia, Peru, Brazil)
28. Timote
29. Tiníwa
30. Warao (Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela)
31. Yámana (a.k.a Yagan) (Chile)
32. Yuracare (Bolivia)
33. Yuri (Colombia, Brazil)
34. Yurumanguí (Colombia)

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. Kootenai (Canada: British Columbia; US: Idaho, Montana)
11. Natchez (US: Mississippi, Louisiana) (sometimes linked to Muskogean)
12. P'urhépecha (a.k.a. Tarascan) (Mexico: Michoacán)
13. Salinan (US: California)
14. Seri (Mexico: Sonora)
15. Siuslaw (US: Oregon)
16. Takelma (US: Oregon)
17. Timucua (US: Florida, Georgia)
18. Tonkawa (US: Texas) [extinct]
19. Tunica (US: Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas)
20. Washo (US: California, Nevada)
21. Yana (US: California)
22. Yuchi (US: Georgia, Oklahoma)
23. Zuni (a.k.a. Shiwi) (US: New Mexico)

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)

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. 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)

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. 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)

Africa

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

Europe

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

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.

Europe

1. Iberian (Spain) [extinct]
2. Tartessian (Spain, Portugal) [extinct]
3. North Picene (Italy) [extinct]

Africa

1. Ongota (perhaps Afro-Asiatic)
2. Gumuz (perhaps Nilo-Saharan)
3. Kwadi (extinct; perhaps Khoe)
4. Bangi-me (ethnically Dogon)
5. Dompo
6. Mpre
7. Jalaa
8. Laal
9. Meroitic (extinct; variously thought to be Nilo-Saharan or Afro-Asiatic)
10. Shabo

Asia

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

Australia

1. Tasmanian languages [extinct]

South America

1. Baenan (Brazil) [extinct]
2. Culle (Peru) [extinct]
3. Kunza (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. Malibu languages (Colombia) [extinct]
9. Munichi (Peru)
10. Natú (Brazil: Pernambuco) [extinct]
11. Sechura
12. Tarairiú (Brazil: Rio Grande do Norte)
13. Tuxá (Brazil: Bahia, Pernambuco) [extinct]
14. Xokó (Brazil: Alagoas, Pernambuco) [extinct]
15. Xukurú (Brazil: Pernambuco, Paraíba) [extinct]
16. Yurumanguí (Colombia) [extinct]

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]

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.

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.

Creoles

Like mixed languages, the world's numerous creoles do not fit easily into language families.

Sign languages

The family relationships of sign languages are not well established, and many are isolates (cf. Wittmann 1991).

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
• Yuki-Wappo languages

See also

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

External links

• Ethnologue
• MultiTree Project
• Number of speakers by language (Out of date)

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 Institution). (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 [1]
• 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.
• Wittmann, Henri (1991). "Classification linguistique des langues signées non vocalement." Revue québécoise de linguistique théorique et appliquée 10:1.215-88.[2]