Diffusion of Language and Religion

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the concepts of language and religion classification, hearths, and patterns of diffusion.

Linguistic Geographers

Geographers who study the hearths, diffusion, distribution, and relationships between languages.

Language Family

The largest group of related languages connected through a common, ancient ancestry that trace back to a common hearth.

Indo-European Language Family

The largest language family in the world, with approximately 3.2 billion speakers distributed across the globe.

Sino-Tibetan Language Family

The second largest language family, with 1.4 billion speakers mostly concentrated in East and Southeast Asia.

Language Branch

A collection of languages sharing a common origin from thousands of years ago that separated from other languages in their family and became distinctive although related.

Romance Branch

A language branch of the Indo-European family that includes Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian.

Germanic Branch

A language branch of the Indo-European family that includes German, English, and Dutch.

Language Group

A collection of languages that share a more recent past with similar vocabularies and some overlap.

Dialect

A variation of a standard language distinguished by differences in vocabulary, word choice, pronunciation, speed, and spelling, spoken by smaller groups due to migration and isolation.

Isogloss

A geographic boundary within which a particular linguistic feature occurs, effectively serving as lines that divide dialects.

Cultural Hearth

The geographic origin of a culture or cultural trait from which traits first diffuse.

Kurgan Warrior Theory

The theory proposing that Indo-European language first diffused around 1,000 B.C.E. from a hearth in modern Russia/Ukraine by nomadic Kurgan warriors conquering Europe and South Asia.

Anatolian Farmer Theory

The theory proposing that Indo-European language spread from an Anatolian hearth through successful agricultural practices, leading to population growth and peaceful migration across Europe and Asia.

Universalizing Religion

A religion that attempts to appeal to all people globally, diffusing widely from its hearth through expansion and relocation diffusion, and utilizing missionaries to recruit new adherents.

Ethnic Religion

A religion tied closely to a specific location or ethnic group with a restricted overall distribution, spreading primarily through relocation diffusion without actively seeking new adherents.