Glottochronology

Glottochronology is a chronological method used in the field of linguistics to estimate the time depth at which languages diverged into separate languages. This method is based on the principle of lexical replacement rate, which is the rate at which certain words in a language are replaced by new words.

History

The concept of glottochronology was first introduced by the American linguist Morris Swadesh in the 1950s. Swadesh proposed a list of 200 basic words, known as the Swadesh list, which he believed were resistant to borrowing and therefore suitable for glottochronological analysis.

Methodology

Glottochronology involves comparing the vocabulary of two or more languages and calculating the percentage of shared words. This percentage is then used to estimate the time depth at which the languages diverged. The method assumes a constant rate of lexical replacement, which is often criticized as being overly simplistic.

Criticism and Controversy

Glottochronology has been subject to criticism and controversy since its inception. Critics argue that the method's assumption of a constant rate of lexical replacement is flawed, as the rate can vary greatly between different languages and cultures. Furthermore, the method does not account for words that are borrowed from other languages, which can significantly skew the results.

Despite these criticisms, glottochronology continues to be used in some areas of linguistic research, particularly in the study of language families and language evolution.

See Also

• Comparative method (linguistics)
• Historical linguistics
• Language families
• Swadesh list