Language Isolate

Most languages can be traced back to a larger language family, as many languages are related in some way and are descendants of the same older language. But what about the languages that are not a part of a larger language family? What if they make up their own family instead? Some languages across the world are not related to any other languages. In English linguistics, these are known as language isolates. For example, in Europe, the language isolate is the Basque language.

If you are unsure of the meaning of language isolates or can't think of any more examples of them, don't worry! We will now explore the meaning of language isolates, including some examples and lists of language isolates from around the world.

Language Isolate Meaning

Take a look at the meaning of a language isolate below:

It is unclear how many language isolates there are in total, but we will explore a few examples in this article!

Language Isolate Examples

Some examples of language isolates are:

Korean

Although some linguists believe it is part of the Altaic language family, Korean is widely regarded as the most commonly spoken language isolate. Around 74 million people speak Korean, which is currently the 14th most widely used language in the world.

Some basic Korean words and phrases are as follows:

The Korean writing system, known as Hangul, is regarded as one of the world's easiest writing systems. It is written in syllabic blocks, from left to right and top to bottom. Each syllable can contain up to 4 different characters, and each must have a vowel.

Fig. 1 - Hangul was created by King Sejong in 1443.

Mapuche

Mapuche (also known as Mapudungun) is a language isolate spoken mainly in Chile and Argentina. There are around 260000 native speakers of Mapuche. Check out some examples of words below:

• Huentru = man

• Domo = woman

• Trehua = dog

• Narki = cat

• Anti = sun

• Cuyen = moon

• Co = water

Purépecha

Purépecha (also known as Tarascan) is a language isolate spoken in Mexico. There are around 140000 native speakers. Some examples of commonly used words and phrases are:

Burushaski

Burushaski is a language isolate spoken in Pakistan. There are around 126300 native speakers. Here are some commonly used Burushaski phrases:

• be gumay baa? = how are you?

• be bila? = what's up?

• nukuycin xoš amanam = nice to meet you (informal)

• namaycin xoš amanam = nice to meet you (formal)

• ǰuuwan goor = thanks (informal)

• ǰuuwan maar = thank you (formal)

• xudaa yaar = goodbye

Sandawe

Sandawe is a language isolate spoken in the Dodoma Region of Tanzania. There are around 60000 speakers of Sandawe. Here are some commonly used Sandawe words:

Language Isolate in Europe

The main language isolate in Europe is the Basque language, also known as Euskara. It is spoken in the Basque Country, which sits on the border between Spain and France. There are around 751500 native Basque speakers (as of 2016).

The Basque flag, known as the Ikurriña, was invented in 1894. Some say it resembles the Union Jack (UK flag). Do you see the similarities?

Fig. 2 - The Basque government adopted the Ikurriña as the official flag of the Basque Country in 1936.

Some basic words and phrases include:

Language Isolate Greek

Greek is not a full language isolate, but is sometimes referred to as an Indo-European isolate. Greek - alongside other languages such as Armenian and Albanian - is a language that is part of a larger language family but forms its own branch. Although Greek belongs to the Indo-European language family, it does not belong to any official branches, such as Romance, Germanic, Slavic, etc.

List of Language Isolates

Here is a list of language isolates that are still being spoken:

Now here is a list of language isolates that are extinct (no longer existing):

Language Isolate vs. Unclassified Language

A language isolate may often be mistaken for an unclassified language, as the line between these two terms can sometimes be blurry. Here is a definition of an unclassified language:

If an unclassified language does end up being identified, it will no longer be labeled as unclassified. If an unclassified language has been documented for a while but does not have a relation to any other language, it's considered a language isolate.

Language Isolate vs. Isolating Language

Another term often mistaken for a language isolate is an isolating language. Although the terms sound similar, they have different meanings. Take a look at a definition of an isolating language:

On the other hand, a language isolate is a language that does not have any genetic relation to any other languages, so it makes up its own language family.