Glottolog | |
Producer: | Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History |
Country: | Germany |
Languages: | English |
Cost: | Free |
Disciplines: | Linguistics |
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 families and isolates as follows:[5]
Name | Region | Languages | |
---|---|---|---|
Atlantic-Congo | Africa | 1,410 | |
Africa, Eurasia, Oceania, South America | 1,272 | ||
Africa, Australia, Eurasia, North America, Oceania, South America | 585 | ||
Eurasia | 506 | ||
Africa, Eurasia | 382 | ||
Oceania | 317 | ||
Pama-Nyungan | Australia, Oceania | 250 | |
North America | 181 | ||
Eurasia | 158 | ||
Eurasia | 96 | ||
Eurasia | 82 | ||
North America, South America | 77 | ||
Africa | 75 | ||
South America | 70 | ||
North America | 68 | ||
Africa | 63 | ||
Africa | 56 | ||
Oceania | 55 | ||
Eurasia | 49 | ||
North America | 47 | ||
North America | 46 | ||
South America | 45 | ||
South America | 43 | ||
Eurasia | 43 | ||
South America | 42 | ||
Eurasia | 42 | ||
Africa | 38 | ||
Eurasia | 36 | ||
Oceania | 36 | ||
North America | 34 | ||
Oceania | 30 | ||
South America | 29 | ||
North America, South America | 27 | ||
South America | 26 | ||
North America | 25 | ||
Oceania | 23 | ||
Africa | 20 | ||
Oceania | 20 | ||
North America | 19 | ||
Africa | 19 | ||
Oceania | 19 | ||
North America | 18 | ||
Oceania | 17 | ||
Eurasia, Oceania | 17 | ||
Eurasia | 17 | ||
Oceania | 15 | ||
Oceania | 15 | ||
Eurasia | 15 | ||
Africa | 14 | ||
Oceania | 13 | ||
Eurasia, North America | 13 | ||
North America | 13 | ||
Oceania | 13 | ||
Africa | 13 | ||
Oceania | 13 | ||
North America | 13 | ||
South America | 12 | ||
Australia | 12 | ||
North America | 11 | ||
North America | 11 | ||
Oceania | 11 | ||
Africa | 11 | ||
Australia | 11 | ||
Oceania | 10 | ||
Eurasia, Oceania | 10 | ||
Africa | 10 | ||
Africa | 10 | ||
Africa | 10 | ||
Australia | 10 | ||
Africa | 10 | ||
Africa | 10 | ||
Oceania | 10 | ||
Australia | 10 | ||
South America | 9 | ||
Oceania | 9 | ||
Africa | 9 | ||
Oceania | 8 | ||
North America | 8 | ||
Oceania | 8 | ||
Oceania | 8 | ||
Africa | 8 | ||
Oceania | 7 | ||
Eurasia | 7 | ||
Africa | 7 | ||
South America | 7 | ||
South America | 7 | ||
North America | 7 | ||
North America | 7 | ||
South America | 6 | ||
Oceania | 6 | ||
South America | 6 | ||
North America | 6 | ||
Oceania | 6 | ||
Africa | 6 | ||
Oceania | 6 | ||
Oceania | 6 | ||
South America | 6 | ||
South America | 6 | ||
Oceania | 6 | ||
North America | 6 | ||
South America | 6 | ||
South America | 6 | ||
Eurasia | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
North America | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
South America | 5 | ||
South America | 5 | ||
Eurasia | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
Africa | 5 | ||
Africa | 5 | ||
Australia | 5 | ||
North America | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
North America | 5 | ||
Africa | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
North America | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
Eurasia | 5 | ||
Oceania | 5 | ||
South America | 4 | ||
Africa | 4 | ||
South America | 4 | ||
North America | 4 | ||
South America | 4 | ||
Africa | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
North America | 4 | ||
Australia | 4 | ||
South America | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
North America | 4 | ||
Australia | 4 | ||
Australia | 4 | ||
South America | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
North America | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
Africa | 4 | ||
Australia | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
Oceania | 4 | ||
North America | 4 | ||
Eurasia | 4 | ||
Eurasia | 3 | ||
South America | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
South America | 3 | ||
Africa | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Australia | 3 | ||
Africa | 3 | ||
Australia | 3 | ||
North America | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Africa | 3 | ||
South America | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Africa | 3 | ||
Africa | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
South America | 3 | ||
South America | 3 | ||
North America | 3 | ||
North America | 3 | ||
Oceania | 3 | ||
Australia | 3 | ||
Australia | 3 | ||
South America | 3 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
Africa | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Eurasia | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Eurasia | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Eurasia | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Eurasia | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
Africa | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
Africa | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
Australia | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
Africa | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
South America | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 2 | ||
North America | 2 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
data-sort-value="Irantxe-Munku" | South America | 1 | |
South America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
data-sort-value="Maku" | South America | 1 | |
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
data-sort-value="Paez" | South America | 1 | |
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Africa | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Eurasia | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
Australia | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
data-sort-value="Yamana" | South America | 1 | |
North America | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
Oceania | 1 | ||
North America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
South America | 1 | ||
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]