language
mutually agreed-on system of symbolic communication that has a spoken or written expression
dialects
distinctive local or regional variants of a language
pidgen
composite language consisting of small vocabulary borrowed from he linguistic groups involved in international commerce
creole
language derived from a pidgin language that has acquired a fuller vocabulary and become the native language of its speakers
lingua franca
existing, well-established language of communication and commerce used widely were it is not a mother language
bilingualism
the ability to speak two languages fluently
language families
groups of related languages derived from a common ancestor
polyglot
mixture of different languages
isoglosses
borders of usage of an individual word or pronunciation
slang
words or phrases that are not part of a standard recognized vocabulary for a given language
Kurgan hypothesis
theory of language diffusion
linguistic refuge areas
areas protected by isolation or inhospitable environmental conditions in which specific languages or dialects have survived
language hotspots
places on Earth that are home to the most unique, misunderstood, or endangered languages
toponyms
place-names, usually consisting of two parts
generic toponyms
descriptive parts of many place-names, often repeated throughout a cultural area
