glottochronology

noun

glot·​to·​chro·​nol·​o·​gy ˌglä-tō-krə-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce glottochronology (audio)
: a linguistic method that uses the rate of vocabulary replacement to estimate the date of divergence for distinct but genetically related languages
glottochronological adjective

Word History

Etymology

glotto- + chronology

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glottochronology was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near glottochronology

Cite this Entry

“Glottochronology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glottochronology. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on glottochronology

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!