A group of contiguous dialects where the dialects nearest to each other geographically are the most similar and the dialects farther apart are least similar
Extinct language
Language without any native speakers.
Backward reconstruction
Tracking sound shifts and hardening consonants backward to uncover an original language.
Isogloss
A geographic boundary where linguistic features occur.
Cognate
A word in one language that shares its origin with a word in another language. Cognates have similar meanings and spellings and show shared origins and connections among languages.
Lingua franca
Language used for trade or cultural interaction among people who speak different languages.
Toponym
Place name.
Language divergence
Process where discrete, new languages are eventually formed from one language. Happens when people speaking two dialects of a language are relatively isolated from each other and have little spatial interaction; the opposite of language convergence.
Dialect
Variants of a standard language along regional or ethic lines.
Language convergence
Process where two languages collapse into one language. Happens when people speaking two languages have frequent and consistent spatial interaction with each other; the opposite of language divergence.
