maps-and-tables.neocities.org
Last updated: 2021
This is a map showing the spoken languages of the world. The map doesn't show single languages (that would be impossible, as there are 6000-7000 languages, and just mapping official language would be to simplified), but language families or language phyla instead. The colours imply a possible ancient relation, called macrofamilies. However, these are highly speculative.
As the map shows, Indo-European languages are spoken in large parts of our planet. Other important language families include the Niger-Congo, Sino-Tibetan, Afroasiatic, and Austronesian languages. The largest degree of diversity is found in New Guinea, where linguists have found a large number of isolated languages or small language families, as well as the Trans-New Guinea phylum with an astounding number of different languages as well.
Source: maps-and-tables.neocities.org
| Language family | Proposed macrofamily | # of speakers | # of languages | Languages >10m speakers | Area spoken | Notes | |||
| Indo-European | Nostratic | 3,000,000,000 | 500 | many - see bottom of table | all continents | Relatedness to extinct Gutian and/or Elymian proposed | |||
| Uralic | Nostratic | 25,000,000 | 38 | hun | Hungary, Northern Europe, European Russia, Siberia | Probably cognate with Yukaghiric | |||
| Yukaghiric | Nostratic | few | 2 | Russian Far East | Probably cognate with Uralic | ||||
| Turkic | Nostratic | 180,000,000 | 40 | tur, uzb, aze, kaz, uig | West & Central Asia, Russian Far East, South East Europe | Altaic family proposed | |||
| Mongolic | Nostratic | 7,500,000 | 15 | Mongolia and surroundings, Kalmykia, Herat (Afghanistan) | Altaic family proposed, related to extinct Khitan? | ||||
| Tungusic | Nostratic | 75,000 | 12 | North East China, Siberia | Altaic family proposed | ||||
| Koreanic | Nostratic | 77,000,000 | 10 | kor | Korea | Probably includes Buyeo & Silla; Altaic family proposed | |||
| Japonic | Nostratic | 125,000,000 | 3 | jpn | Japan | Probably includes extinct Gaya; Altaic family proposed | |||
| Ainu-Emishi | Nostratic | few | 5 | Hokkaido (Japan) | Altaic family proposed; maybe related to Jomon language | ||||
| Nivkh | Nostratic | 200 | 1 | Sakhalin Island, Amur River mouth | Eskimo-Siberian family proposed | ||||
| Chukotko-Kamtchatkan | Nostratic | 25,000 | 5 | Russian Far East | Eskimo-Siberian family proposed | ||||
| Eskimo-Aleut | Nostratic | 105,000 | 7 | Northern North America, Greenland | Eskimo-Siberian family proposed | ||||
| Dravidian | Nostratic | 220,000,000 | 27 | tel, tam, kan, mal | South Asia (mostly South India) | Related to extinct Elamic, Harappan and/or Lulubean? | |||
| Kartvelian | Nostratic | 5,200,000 | 5 | Caucasus (esp. Georgia) | |||||
| Afroasiatic | Nostratic | 350,000,000 | 300 | ara, hau, amh, som | North Africa, Horn of Africa, Middle East | ||||
| Vasconic | Dene-Caucasian | 714,000 | 2 | Basque Country | Relatedness to extinct Iberian and/or Tartessian proposed | ||||
| Abkhaso-Adygeian | Dene-Caucasian | 1,655,000 | 5 | North West Caucasus | Relatedness to Hattic and/or Kaskian proposed | ||||
| Nakho-Dagestanian | Dene-Caucasian | 4,000,000 | 18 | Eastern Caucasus (Dagestan, Ingushetia & Chechnya) | Relatedness to extinct Hurro-Urartian proposed | ||||
| Burushaski | Dene-Caucasian | 87,000 | 1 | Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan) | Relatedness to Yeniseian and extinct Xiongnu proposed | ||||
| Yeniseian | Dene-Caucasian | 200 | 6 | Central Yenisei River (Siberia) | Relatedness to Na-Dene languages propsed | ||||
| Na-Dene | Dene-Caucasian | 201,000 | 55 | North America | Relatedness to Yeniseian languages propsed | ||||
| Nahali | Dene-Caucasian | 2,000 | 1 | Jalgaon Jamod (Madhya Pradesh, India) | |||||
| Kusunda | Dene-Caucasian | few | 1 | Dang, Pyuthan and Tanahu districts (Nepal) | |||||
| Sino-Tibetan | Dene-Caucasian | 1,300,000,000 | 400 | zho, mya | China, Myanmar, surrounding areas | ||||
| Kra-Dai | Austric | 100,000,000 | 95 | tha | South China, South East Asia (esp. Thailand) | ||||
| Austroasiatic | Austric | 100,000,000 | 168 | vie, kmh | South East Asia, India | Shompen = separate (isolated) language? | |||
| Hmong-Mien | Austric | 6,000,000 | 20 | South China, South East Asia | |||||
| Austronesian | Austric | 386,000,000 | 1150 | jav, may, sun, tgl, ceb | South East Asia, Oceania, Madagascar | ||||
| Almosan-Keresiouan | Amerindian | 185,000 | ? | North America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Penutian-Hokan | Amerindian | 7,023,000 | ? | Central & North America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Central Amerindian | Amerindian | 4,422,000 | ? | Central & North America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Andean | Amerindian | 11,976,000 | ? | Western South America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Chibchan-Paezan | Amerindian | 550,000 | ? | Central, South & North America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Equatorial-Tucanoan | Amerindian | 5,961,000 | ? | South America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Ge-Pano-Carib | Amerindian | 333,000 | ? | South America | Proposed merger of various accepted language families | ||||
| Khoe-Kwadi | Khoisan | 224,000 | 10 | South West Africa | |||||
| Kx'a | Khoisan | 16,000 | 2 | South West Africa | |||||
| Tuu | Khoisan | 4,200 | 7 | South West Africa | |||||
| Sandawe | Khoisan | 60,000 | 1 | Rift Valley (Tanzania) | |||||
| Hadza | ? | 800 | 1 | Lake Eyasi (Tanzania) | |||||
| Bangime | ? | 1,500 | 1 | Dogon cliffs (Mali) | |||||
| Jalaa | ? | few (extinct?) | 1 | Loojaa settlement (Nigeria) | |||||
| Laal | ? (possibly Congo-Saharan) | 750 | 1 | Gori, Damtar and Mailao villages (Chad) | |||||
| Greater Siangic | ? (possibly Dene-Caucasian) | 49,500 | 5 | Arunachal (Assam), Zayü (Yunnan), Nyingchi (Tibet) | Siangic, Mishmic, & extinct Pre-Tani = separate families? | ||||
| Kho-Bwa | ? (possibly Dene-Caucasian) | 15,000 | 6 | Arunachal Pradesh (Assam, India) | Puroik = separate? | ||||
| Miji | ? (possibly Dene-Caucasian) | 6,500 | 2 | Nafra, Lada, & Sarli (West/East Kameng, Arunachal, Assam) | |||||
| Hruso | ? (possibly Dene-Caucasian) | 3,000 | 1 | Thrizino Circle (West Kameng District, Arunachal, Assam) | |||||
| Miju | ? (possibly Dene-Caucasian) | 18,000 | 1 | Hawai & Parsuram Kund (Lohit Dist., Arunachal, Assam) | |||||
| Shompen | ? (possibly Austric or Indo-Pacific) | 400 | 2 | Great Nicobar Island (India) | Possibly related to Andamanese and extinct Negrito languages | ||||
| Niger-Congo | Congo-Saharan | 400,000,000 | 1400 | yor, ibo, ful, kin, zul, run | Sub-Saharan Africa | Mande, Ubangian, Dompo, Kujarge, Rimba, Mpra, Mpur = separate? | |||
| Nilo-Saharan | Congo-Saharan | 55,000,000 | 200 | Central Africa, East Africa | Songhai languages = separate family? | ||||
| South Andamanese | Indo-Pacific | 600 | 4 | Andaman Islands (India) | Includes Sentinelese (unclassified language) | ||||
| Trans-New Guinea | Indo-Pacific | 3,540,000 | 476 | Across New Guinea | Dem, Pawaia, Goilalan, Kiwaian, Porome, Teberan = separate? | ||||
| West Papuan | Indo-Pacific | 269,400 | 23 | Bird's Head peninsula, Halmahera island | Mpur & Hattam = separate?; Extended West Papuan proposed | ||||
| East Bird's Head-Sentani | Indo-Pacific | 71,700 | 10 | Eastern Bird's Head peninsula | Extended West Papuan proposed; Tause & Saponi = separate? | ||||
| Yawa | Indo-Pacific | 10,300 | 2 | Yapen Island (Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesian Papua) | Extended West Papuan family proposed | ||||
| Mairasi | Indo-Pacific | 4,400 | 4 | Papua province (Indonesia), Bomberai Peninsula | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed | ||||
| East Geelvink Bay | Indo-Pacific | 8,000 | 11 | Eastern coast of Geelvink Bay in Indonesian Papua province | Includes Kehu (unclassified) | ||||
| Lakes Plain | Indo-Pacific | 8,200 | 20 | Northern half of Indonesian New Guinea | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed | ||||
| Lower Mamberamo | Indo-Pacific | 800 | 2 | Near Mamberamo River mouth (Papua province, Indonesia) | Tor family, Kwerba family, Orya, Sause, Mawes, Isirawa = separate? | ||||
| Tor-Kwerba | Indo-Pacific | 16,200 | 25 | Northern half of Indonesian New Guinea | |||||
| Momuna | Indo-Pacific | 2,200 | 2 | Central New Guinea (Indonesian half) | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed | ||||
| Pauwasi | Indo-Pacific | 3,700 | 5 | North New Guinea (near the border on both sides) | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed | ||||
| Border | Indo-Pacific | 18,100 | 17 | North New Guinea (near the border on both sides) | Includes Elseng (language isolate?) | ||||
| Left May-Kwomtari | Indo-Pacific | 6,400 | 12 | North New Guinea (near the border on Papuan side) | Left May, Kwomtari, Fas, Pyu = separate? | ||||
| Torricelli | Indo-Pacific | 113,700 | 57 | North New Guinea (coast on the east of the border) | Munumbo-Lilau = separate? | ||||
| Ramu-Lower Sepik | Indo-Pacific | 65,800 | 32 | Ramu and Sepik river basins (North Papua New Guinea) | |||||
| Sepik | Indo-Pacific | 162,700 | 55 | Sepik river basin (North Papua New Guinea) | |||||
| Taiap | Indo-Pacific | 100 | 1 | Gapun village (East Sepik prov., North Papua New Guinea) | |||||
| Arafundi-Piawi | Indo-Pacific | 4,600 | 5 | Northern half of Papua New Guinea | Arafundi & Piawi = separate families? | ||||
| Yuat-Maramba | Indo-Pacific | 6,900 | 6 | Northern half of Papua New Guinea | Maramba = separate? | ||||
| Baining-Kol-Sulka | Indo-Pacific | 19,800 | 8 | East New Britain | Kol and/or Sulka = separate? | ||||
| Eastern Trans-Fly | Indo-Pacific | 7,300 | 4 | Murray Island (Austr.), South Central New Guinea | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed | ||||
| Nimboran | Indo-Pacific | 8,500 | 5 | North New Guinea (just west of the Indonesian border) | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed | ||||
| Senagi | Indo-Pacific | 3,000 | 2 | North New Guinea (near the border on both sides) | Relatedness to Sepik or Toricelli proposed | ||||
| Kaure-Kapori-Kosare | Indo-Pacific | 900 | 3 | Northern half of Indonesian New Guinea | Relatedness to Trans-New Guinea proposed; languages = unrelated? | ||||
| Amto-Musan | Indo-Pacific | 500 | 2 | Amanab & Rocky Peak districts (Sandaun, Papua New Guinea) | |||||
| Trans-Fly-Bulaka River | Indo-Pacific | 16,300 | 22 | West of Fly River & near Bulaka River (South New Guinea) | |||||
| Doso-Turumsa | Indo-Pacific | 700 | 2 | South New Guinea (on the Papuan side) | |||||
| Namla-Tofanma | Indo-Pacific | 300 | 2 | North New Guinea (just west of the Indonesian border) | |||||
| Skou | Indo-Pacific | 7,000 | 8 | North New Guinean coast (near the border on Papuan side) | |||||
| Abinomn | Indo-Pacific | 300 | 1 | Northern half of Indonesian New Guinea | |||||
| Busa | Indo-Pacific | 200 | 1 | North New Guinea (just east of the Indonesian border) | |||||
| Yale | Indo-Pacific | 600 | 1 | Sandaun province ( just east of the Indonesian border) | |||||
| Lepki-Murkim | Indo-Pacific | 800 | 2 | North New Guinea (just west of the Indonesian border) | |||||
| Kembra | Indo-Pacific | few | 1 | North New Guinea (just west of the Indonesian border) | unclassified | ||||
| Massep | Indo-Pacific | few | 1 | Coast of North New Guinea (Indonesian side) east of Teba | |||||
| Dibiyaso | Indo-Pacific | 2,000 | 1 | South of Papua New Guinea | |||||
| Yele-West New Britain | Indo-Pacific | 6,600 | 3 | New Britain Island, Rossel Island | Anem, Ata, Yeli Dnye = separate? | ||||
| South Bougainville | Indo-Pacific | 68,700 | 9 | Southern Bougainville Island | |||||
| North Bougainville | Indo-Pacific | 10,000 | 4 | Northern Bougainville Island | |||||
| Central Solomon | Indo-Pacific | 14,800 | 4 | Ghizo, Rendova, Russell, Savo Islands of Solomon Islands | |||||
| Kuot | Indo-Pacific | 2,400 | 1 | Northwest coast of New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) | |||||
| Pama-Nyungan | Australian | 25,000 | 300 | Most of Australia | |||||
| Nyulnyulan | Australian | 200 | 10 | North West Australia (around Dampier Land) | |||||
| Worroran | Australian | 100 | 3 | North West Australia | |||||
| Bunuban | Australian | 500 | 2 | North West Australia | |||||
| Jarrakan | Australian | 100 | 4 | North West Australia | |||||
| Mindi | Australian | 200 | 5 | Northern Territory (Australia) in two separate areas | |||||
| Southern Daly | Australian | 2,000 | 2 | North West Australia | |||||
| Western Daly | Australian | few | 3 | North West Australia | |||||
| Malak-Malak | Australian | few | 1 | North West Australia | Northern Daly family proposed | ||||
| Wagaydyic | Australian | few | 2 | North West Australia | Northern Daly family proposed | ||||
| Wagiman | Australian | few | 1 | North West Australia | |||||
| Yangmanic | Australian | few | 3 | North Australia | |||||
| Arnhem | Australian | 4,200 | 22 | North Australia | Relatedness to Pama-Nyungan proposed | ||||
| Darwin | Australian | few | 6 | North Australia | |||||
| Iwaidjan | Australian | 400 | 6 | North Australia | Relatedness to Giimbiyu proposed (Arnhem Land family) | ||||
| Tiwi | Australian | 1,700 | 1 | Tiwi Islands (North Australia) | |||||
| Tangkic | Australian | few | 4 | North Australia | Relatedness to Pama-Nyungan proposed | ||||
| Garawan | Australian | few | 3 | North Australia | Relatedness to Pama-Nyungan proposed | ||||
| Indo-European languages with >10m speakers: spa, eng, hin/urd, ben, por, rus, pan, mar, fra, deu, ita, guj, fas, bho, pol, ori, mai, ukr, snd, ron, nld, pus, mag, skr, hne, nep, asm, sinkur, ell, ctg, ces, syl (click to go back up) | |||||||||
| Known extinct language families and isolates (Eurasia): Hurro-Urartian, Tyrsenian, Minoian-Eteocrete, Eteocypriot, Iberian, Tartessian, Elamite, Hattic, Kaskian, Sumerian, Harappan, Lulubean, Gutian, Elymian, North Picene, Sikanic, Nuragic, Khitan, Xiongnu, Dingling | |||||||||
| Known extinct language families and isolates (Indo-Pacific & Australia): Great Andamanese, Darwin River, Eastern Daly, Giimbiyu, Marrgu-Wurrugu, Northern Tasmanian, Eastern Tasmanian, Northeastern Tasmanian, Western Tasmanian | |||||||||
If you find this interesting you may also like this family tree of languages, which also includes some extinct language families.