Language Families of the World

Overview

Course No. 2235

Join Professor John McWhorter on a global linguistic journey to uncover the origins and evolution of language families. From Indo-European to the click languages of Africa, explore how languages have branched and changed over time, revealing insights into human migration and cultural development.

Video Lesson List

1. Why Are There So Many Languages?

Discover the origins of language diversity and the concept of language families.

30 min

2. The First Family Discovered: Indo-European

Examine the Indo-European family, including Latin, English, and Sanskrit, and its historical significance.

28 min

3. Indo-European Languages in Europe

Dive into the European branches of Indo-European, including Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages.

29 min

4. Indo-European Languages in Asia

Explore the Indo-European languages that spread into Asia, such as those in India, and their unique characteristics.

28 min

5. The Click Languages

Investigate the Khoisan languages of southern Africa, known for their click sounds, and their classification challenges.

26 min

6. Niger-Congo: Largest Family in Africa I

Begin exploring the vast Niger-Congo family, focusing on its unique linguistic features.

29 min

7. Niger-Congo: Largest Family in Africa II

Continue your study of Niger-Congo with a deeper look at its languages and their cultural significance.

28 min

8. Languages of the Fertile Crescent and Beyond

Understand the Afro-Asiatic family, including Semitic languages like Arabic and Hebrew, and their historical roots.

26 min

9. Is the Indo-European Family Alone in Europe?

Meet the Uralic family, including Finnish and Hungarian, and see how they differ from Indo-European languages.

27 min

10. What Is a Caucasian Language?

Explore the complex and diverse Caucasian languages and the debate over their familial classification.

26 min

11. Indian Languages That Aren’t Indo-European

Focus on the Dravidian languages of southern India, their unique features, and cultural context.

27 min

12. How to Identify a Language Family

Learn how linguists establish language connections and delve into Polynesian languages.

29 min

13. What Is a Caucasian Language?

Investigate the Caucasian languages and their grammatical complexities.

26 min

14. Japanese and Korean: Alike Yet Unrelated

Compare Japanese and Korean, discussing their unique features and writing systems.

29 min

15. The Languages We Call Chinese

Understand the diversity within Chinese languages and their shared writing system.

29 min

16. Chinese’s Family Circle: Sino-Tibetan

Explore the Sino-Tibetan family, including Tibeto-Burman languages and their origins.

28 min

17. Languages of the South Seas I

Begin your study of Austronesian languages, one of the world’s largest language families.

26 min

18. Languages of the South Seas II

Continue examining Austronesian languages, including their spread and unique characteristics.

27 min

19. Siberia and Beyond: Language Isolates

Discover language isolates in Siberia, Spain, and Japan, and understand their unique origins.

33 min

20. Creole Languages

Learn about the formation and characteristics of creole languages.

29 min

21. Why Are There So Many Languages in New Guinea?

Explore the linguistic richness of New Guinea and the factors contributing to its language diversity.

25 min

22. The Languages of Australia I

Investigate the original languages of Australia and their current endangered status.

25 min

23. The Languages of Australia II

Continue your study of Australian languages, including their unique grammatical features.

29 min

24. The Original American Languages I

Discover the diverse language families of North America before English dominance.

30 min

25. The Original American Languages II

Examine specific North American languages and their unique traits.

26 min

26. The Original American Languages III

Explore Central and South American languages and their complex developments.

28 min

27. The Original American Languages IV

Look at the southern migration of Native American languages and their unique features.

29 min

28. Languages Caught between Families

Understand hybrid languages and the blurred lines between language families.

28 min

29. How Far Back Can We Trace Languages?

Consider the challenges and theories of tracing language origins over millennia.

28 min

30. What Do Genes Say about Language Families?

Explore the connection between genetics and language, and the insights DNA provides into language origins.

30 min

31. Language Families and Writing Systems

Understand the relationship between language families and their writing systems, and the cultural importance of language preservation.

32 min