An unclassified language is a language whose genetic affiliation to other languages has not been established. Languages can be unclassified for a variety of reasons, mostly due to a lack of reliable data but sometimes due to the confounding influence of language contact, if different layers of its vocabulary or morphology point in different directions and it is not clear which represents the ancestral form of the language. Some poorly known extinct languages, such as Gutian, are simply unclassifiable, and it is unlikely the situation will ever change.

A supposedly unclassified language may turn out not to be a language at all, or even a distinct dialect, but merely a family, tribal or village name, or an alternative name for a people or language that is classified.

If a language's genetic relationship has not been established after significant documentation of the language and comparison with other languages and families, as in the case of Basque in Europe, it is considered a language isolate – that is, it is classified as a language family of its own. An 'unclassified' language therefore is one which may still turn out to belong to an established family once better data are available or more thorough comparative research is done. Extinct unclassified languages for which little evidence has been preserved are likely to remain in limbo indefinitely, unless lost documents or a surviving speaker population is discovered.

Classification challenges

An example of a language that has caused multiple problems for classification is Mimi of Decorse in Chad. This language is only attested in a single list of words collected ca. 1900.Gaudefroy-Demombynes, Maurice. 1907. Document sur les Langues de l'Oubangui-Chari. In Actes du XVIe Congrès International des Orientalistes, Alger, 1905, Part II, 172-330. Paris: Ernest Leroux. At first it was thought to be a Maban language, because of similarities to Maba, the first Maban language to be described. However, as other languages of the Maban family were described, it became clear that the similarities were solely with Maba itself, and the relationship was too distant for Mimi to be related specifically to Maba and not equally to the other Maban languages.Starostin, George. On Mimi , Journal of Language Relationship, v. 6, 2011, pp. 115-140. The obvious similarities are therefore now thought to be due to borrowings from Maba, which is the socially dominant language in the area. When such loans are discounted, there is much less data to classify Mimi with, and what does remain is not particularly similar to any other language or language family. Mimi might therefore be a language isolate, or perhaps a member of some other family related to Maban in the proposed but as yet undemonstrated Nilo-Saharan phylum. It would be easier to address the problem with better data, but no-one has been able to find speakers of the language again.

It also happens that a language may be unclassified within an established family. That is, it may be obvious that it is, say, a Malayo-Polynesian language, but not clear in which branch of Malayo-Polynesian it belongs. When a family consists of many similar languages with great degree of confusing contact, a large number of languages may be effectively unclassified in this manner. Families where this is a substantial problem include Malayo-Polynesian, Bantu, Pama–Nyungan, and Arawakan.

Examples by reason

There are hundreds of unclassified languages, most of them extinct, although there are some, albeit relatively few, that are still spoken; in the following list, the extinct languages are labeled with a dagger ().

Absence of data

Some languages are unclassifiable, not just unclassified, because, while there may be record of a language existing, there may not be enough materials in it to analyze and classify, especially with now-extinct languages. (See, for example, list of unclassified languages of South America.) Unclassifiable languages with an absence of data include:

Sentinelese (Andaman Islands, specifically North Sentinel Island) – a living presumed language of an uncontacted people; assumed to be Ongan, though not intelligible to Ongan speakers Weyto (Ethiopia) – speculated to have been Agaw Harappan † (Indus Valley civilisation 33rd–13th centuries BC) – data remains undeciphered Cypro-Minoan † (Cyprus 15th–10th centuries BC) – data remains undeciphered Lullubi (Iran) (Tanzania) Guale and Yamasee (US) Nagarchal (India) – assumed to have been Dravidian Kwisi (Angola) Ancient Cappadocian (Asia Minor) – possibly Anatolian Lycaonian (Asia Minor) – possibly Anatolian Zapotec (Jalisco) (Mexico) Otomi (Jalisco) (Mexico) Moksela (Indonesia) – possibly one of the Central Maluku languages Gomba (Ethiopia) Palumata (Maluku) – perhaps a dialect of Hukumina Giyug (Australia) – possibly Wagaydyic Karranga (Australia) – likely Pama–Nyungan Yugul (Australia) – likely Marran Aguano (Peru) – may be Arawakan Chachapoya (Peru) – known only from possible toponyms and family names, not any actual source of vocabulary Alagüilac (Guatemala) – may be related to Xinca Avoyel (Louisiana) Flecheiro (Brazil) – assumed to be Katukinan Janambre (Mexico) Jumanos (Texas and New Mexico) Majena (Bolivia) Moneton (West Virginia) – likely Siouan Opelousa (Louisiana) Pedee (South Carolina) – possibly Siouan Truká (Brazil) Wasu (Brazil)

Scarcity of data Many unclassified languages are also considered unclassifiable due to the presence of some, but not enough, data to reveal close language relatives. For others there may be enough data to show the language belongs to a particular family, but not where within it, or to show the language has no close relatives, but not enough to conclude that it is a language isolate.

Solano (Mexico) – possibly a language isolate Quimbaya (Colombia), if it existed; only 10 known words Nam (Chinese–Tibetan border) – data remains undeciphered; probably Sino-Tibetan Kujargé (Chad) – possibly Afroasiatic Quingnam (Peru) – known only from a list of unlabeled numerals and a few other words Bung (Cameroon) – most likely Niger–Congo Luo (Cameroon) Komta (Nigeria) Wawu (Ghana or possibly the Ivory Coast) Kambojan (South Asia and Central Asia) (West Africa) Dima (Ethiopia) Philistine (Southern Levant) – perhaps either Afroasiatic or Indo-European Iberian (Spain and southern France) Minoan (ancient Crete) – existence attested through inscriptions in the undeciphered Linear A script. Attempts to link Minoan to the nearby Afroasiatic and Indo-European language families have been inconclusive. Eteocretan (ancient Crete) Hattic (Anatolia) – probably a language isolate Kaskian (Anatolia) – possibly related to Hattic Kassite (Iraq) – possibly Hurro-Urartian Gutian (Zagros borderlands) Hunnic (Eastern Europe and Central Asia) – no known written language. Minimal attested vocabulary outside of given names. As the Hunnic Empire was multi-ethnic, a majority of denizens were non-Hunnic Indo-European and Turkic-speaking tribes. Xiongnu (Mongolia) – possibly Para-Yeniseian, Turkic or an isolate Tuoba (China) – possibly Para-Mongolic or an isolate Rouran (Mongolia) – possibly Para-Mongolic or an isolate Beothuk (Newfoundland) – assumed to have been related to Algonquian languages Meroitic (Sudan) – possibly Nilo-Saharan or Afroasiatic Guanahatabey (Cuba) – known only from toponyms Macorix (Dominican Republic and possibly Haiti) Pankararú (Brazil) Bagua (Peru) Chirino (Peru) – probably related to Candoshi-Shapra Copallín (Peru) Ramanos (Bolivia) Tartessian (southwest Iberian Peninsula) Ligurian (ancient) (Liguria) – probably Indo-European Rutulian (central Italy) Elymian (western Sicily) – likely Indo-European Sicanian (central Sicily) Eteocypriot (Cyprus) Tambora (Indonesia) – possibly a language isolate Karami (Papua New Guinea) Makolkol (New Britain) Ambermo (Indonesia)

Unrelated to nearby languages and not commonly examined Bangime (Mali) Jalaa (Nigeria) Kwaza (Brazil) Mpre (Ghana)

Basic vocabulary unrelated to other languages Bayot (Senegal) Laal (Chad)

Not closely related to other languages and no academic consensus Ongota (Ethiopia) Shabo (Ethiopia) Omaio (Tanzania) Kenaboi (Malaysia)

Languages of dubious existence

Oropom (Uganda) (extinct, if it existed) Imeraguen (Mauritania) (Hassaniya Arabic variety with Berber words for fishing) Nemadi (Mauritania) Rer Bare (Ethiopia) (extinct, if it existed) Wutana (Nigeria) (extinct, if it existed) Trojan (Anatolia) (extinct and as yet unattested, if it existed; possibly a Luwian dialect or related language) North Picene (Italy) (extinct, if it existed; attested in inscriptions that have been accused of being fabricated)

Some 'languages' turn out to be fabricated, such as the Kukurá language of Brazil.

See also :Category:Unclassified languages List of unclassified languages according to the Ethnologue List of unclassified languages of North America List of unclassified languages of South America Language isolate List of language families (including isolates and unclassified languages)

Notes

References

External links

Ethnologue: Unclassified languages