glottochronology

[ glot-oh-kruh-nol-uh-jee, glot-uh- ]

noun

, Linguistics.

1. the branch of lexicostatistics that studies the rate of replacement of vocabulary and attempts to determine what percentage of basic vocabulary two presently distinct but related languages share, using the information thus obtained to estimate how long ago they ceased being a single language.

glottochronology

/ ˌɡlɒtəʊkrəˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the use of lexicostatistics to establish that languages are historically related

Word History and Origins

Origin of glottochronology¹

First recorded in 1950–55; glotto- + chronology

Word History and Origins

Origin of glottochronology¹

C20 glotto-, from Greek glōtta tongue