Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
lexicostatistical

lexicostatistical

9.9
Relating to counting common words to compare languages and estimate when they split
  • adjective
  • /ˌlɛksɪkoʊstəˈtɪstɪkəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lexicostatístico
  • A lexicostatistical approach can help estimate when two languages may have diverged from a common ancestor.

Examples

  • Further, my lexicostatistical analysis of the Mel subgroup supports a revision of Sapir's classification, dividing Mel into two branches.

    Academic text (2004)

  • My lexicostatistical analysis found that Nalu, Mbulungish, and Mboteni languages share almost equal cognate percentages.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The lexicostatistical study revealed insights into how different languages are related to each other.

  • Researchers conducted a lexicostatistical comparison to determine the historical connections between the languages.

Synonyms

lexicostatistic
vslexicostatistical
  • Specialized
9.9

A method that uses numbers to compare words in different languages

focuses on comparing vocabularies to estimate when languages separated
glottochronological
vslexicostatistical
  • Specialized
9.9

About the study of how languages change over time by comparing words

focuses on comparing vocabularies to estimate when languages separated

Surface Forms

lexicostatistical positive

Morphology

lexicostatistical = statistical (semi-transparent) = lexico + statistic + al

The adjective is compositionally built from the combining form 'lexico-' and the adjective 'statistical', but its specialized technical meaning is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Lexicostatistical comes from lexico- meaning 'word', as in lexicon which is a list of words, and statistical meaning 'by numbers' or 'using data'. So a lexicostatistical study is one that compares vocabularies using numbers to see how similar languages are.