Size and Lexical Diversity of Language Families (M861V1)

This data set contains, for most African, Eurasian, and American language families, the number of languages in the family, and also the lexical diversity among those languages as measured by cognate percentages in lexicostatistical wordlists. The data are the same as in the Appendix of Holman (2004), but the present notes are more numerous and detailed. A language family is included in the compilation if and only if it satisfies the following three conditions. First, it is generally accepted as a genetic unit, that is, descended from a single ancestral language. Second, appropriate cognate percentages are published or can be calculated from published data. This condition excludes isolates, which do not share recognized cognates with other languages. Third, the family is not a subset of another family that satisfies the first two conditions. The three conditions together imply that the families included are the largest and oldest generally accepted families with available cognate percentages. Subject: STANDARD DEPOSIT TERMS 1.0 Type: DATAPASS:TERMS:STANDARD:1.0 Notes: of the Archive), within the Data Preservation Alliance for the Social Sciences ("Data-PASS") in accordance with the Data-PASS terms (the "Terms") of use (available from: icpsr.org). Including permission to: (a) redisseminate copies of the Data Collection in a variety of distribution formats only according to the standard terms of use of the Archive; (b) promote and advertise the Data Collection in any publicity (in any form) for Data-PASS and the Archive; (c) describe, catalog, validate and document the Content; (d) store, translate, copy or re-format the Data Collection in any way to ensure its future preservation and accessibility, improve usability and/or protect respondent confidentiality; (e) incorporate metadata (cataloging information) or documentation regarding this study into public access catalogues. The Archive represents and warrants that the Content conforms to all Terms and that the Archive is lawfully entitled and has full authority to license Data-Pass to use the Materials in the ways described in the Terms.;