Language isolate

Not to be confused with Isolating language.
Locations of a few relatively well-known examples of isolated languages

A language isolate is a language that has no demonstrable genetic relationship with any other languages.[1] Basque in Europe, Ainu[1] in Asia, Sandawe in Africa, Haida and Zuni in North America, Kanoê in South America, Tiwi in Australia and Burushaski in Pakistan are all examples of language isolates. The exact number of language isolates is yet unknown due to insufficient data on several languages.[2]

One explanation for the existence of language isolates is that they might be the last remaining branch of a larger language family. The language possibly had relatives in the past that have since disappeared without being documented. Another explanation for language isolates is that they developed in isolation from other languages. This explanation mostly applies to sign languages that have arisen independently of other spoken or signed languages.[1][3]

Some languages once seen as isolates may be reclassified as small families if some of their dialects are judged to be sufficiently different from the standard to be seen as different languages. Examples include Japanese and Georgian: Japanese is now part of the Japonic language family with the Ryukyuan languages, and Georgian is the main language in the Kartvelian language family. There is a difference between language isolates and unclassified languages, but they can be difficult to differentiate when it comes to classifying extinct languages.[1] If such efforts eventually do prove fruitful, a language previously considered an isolate may no longer be considered one, as happened with the Yanyuwa language of northern Australia, which has been placed in the Pama–Nyungan family.[4] Since linguists do not always agree on whether a genetic relationship has been demonstrated, it is often disputed whether a language is an isolate.

  1. ^ a b c d Campbell, Lyle (2010-08-24). "Language Isolates and Their History, or, What's Weird, Anyway?". Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society. 36 (1): 16–31. doi:10.3765/bls.v36i1.3900. ISSN 2377-1666.
  2. ^ p. xi. Lyle Campbell. 2018. "Introduction". Language Isolates edited by Lyle Campbell, pp. xi–xiv. Routledge.
  3. ^ Urban, Matthias (April 2021). "The geography and development of language isolates". Royal Society Open Science. 8 (4): rsos.202232, 202232. Bibcode:2021RSOS....802232U. doi:10.1098/rsos.202232. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 8059667. PMID 33996125.
  4. ^ Bradley, John (2016). Wuka nya-nganunga li-Yanyuwa li-Anthawirriyarra = Language for us, the Yanyuwa Saltwater People: a Yanyuwa encyclopaedia. Vol. 1. Jean F. Kirton, Elfreda MacDonald. North Melbourne, Vic. ISBN 978-1-925003-67-3. OCLC 957570810.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)