Languages of the Caucasus - Proposed higher-level classifications

The languages of the Caucasus are a large and extremely varied array of languages spoken by more than ten million people in the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Linguistic studies allow those languages to be classified into several language families, with little or no discernible affinity to each other. Some of those language families have no known members outside the Caucasus area. The term Caucasian languages may refer to these families specifically, or more ...

Including:

• Languages of the Caucasus - Language families
• Languages of the Caucasus - Families restricted to the Caucasus area
• Languages of the Caucasus - Families with wider distribution
• Languages of the Caucasus - Proposed higher-level classifications
• Languages of the Caucasus - North Caucasian languages
• Languages of the Caucasus - Ibero-Caucasian languages
• Languages of the Caucasus - Possible affinities with other languages
• Languages of the Caucasus - Hattic
• Languages of the Caucasus - Hurrian and Urartian
• Languages of the Caucasus - Basque
• Languages of the Caucasus - Western Iberian language
• Languages of the Caucasus - Dene-Caucasian family

Read more here: » Languages of the Caucasus: Encyclopedia - Languages of the Caucasus

A topic that has attracted much research since the 19th century is the classification of the four major Caucasian families into larger groups. Unfortunately this field is quite sensitive, given the complex ethnic and political situation of the region, both before and after the extinction of the Soviet Union. As in many other regions of the globe, linguistic arguments are often used to back up or dismiss territorial disputes and separatist movements. Given the general paucity of linguistic and historical evidence for inter-family relationships, those political implications often dominate the debate.< ...

See also:

Languages of the Caucasus, Languages of the Caucasus - Language families, Languages of the Caucasus - Families restricted to the Caucasus area, Languages of the Caucasus - Families with wider distribution, Languages of the Caucasus - Proposed higher-level classifications, Languages of the Caucasus - North Caucasian languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Ibero-Caucasian languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Possible affinities with other languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Hattic, Languages of the Caucasus - Hurrian and Urartian, Languages of the Caucasus - Basque, Languages of the Caucasus - Western Iberian language, Languages of the Caucasus - Dene-Caucasian family

Read more here: » Languages of the Caucasus: Encyclopedia II - Languages of the Caucasus - Proposed higher-level classifications

Since the birth of comparative linguistics in the 19th century, the riddle of the apparently isolated Caucasian language families has attracted the attention of many scholars who have strenuously tried to relate them to other languages outside the Caucasus region. While most linguists do not accept these proposals, there may be connections between the Northwest and Northeast Caucasian families and some extinct languages formerly spoken in Anatolia and ...

See also:

Languages of the Caucasus, Languages of the Caucasus - Language families, Languages of the Caucasus - Families restricted to the Caucasus area, Languages of the Caucasus - Families with wider distribution, Languages of the Caucasus - Proposed higher-level classifications, Languages of the Caucasus - North Caucasian languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Ibero-Caucasian languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Possible affinities with other languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Hattic, Languages of the Caucasus - Hurrian and Urartian, Languages of the Caucasus - Basque, Languages of the Caucasus - Western Iberian language, Languages of the Caucasus - Dene-Caucasian family

Read more here: » Languages of the Caucasus: Encyclopedia II - Languages of the Caucasus - Possible affinities with other languages

Languages of the Caucasus - Families restricted to the Caucasus area. Most of the languages spoken in the Caucasus area fall into three widely accepted language families. These families were essentially restricted to the Caucasus area through historic times, hence their common label Caucasian languages. South Caucasian, also called the Georgian or Kartvelian family Includes Georgian, the official language of Georgia, with four million speakers; Northwest Caucasian, also called the Abx ...

See also:

Languages of the Caucasus, Languages of the Caucasus - Language families, Languages of the Caucasus - Families restricted to the Caucasus area, Languages of the Caucasus - Families with wider distribution, Languages of the Caucasus - Proposed higher-level classifications, Languages of the Caucasus - North Caucasian languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Ibero-Caucasian languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Possible affinities with other languages, Languages of the Caucasus - Hattic, Languages of the Caucasus - Hurrian and Urartian, Languages of the Caucasus - Basque, Languages of the Caucasus - Western Iberian language, Languages of the Caucasus - Dene-Caucasian family

Read more here: » Languages of the Caucasus: Encyclopedia II - Languages of the Caucasus - Language families