Measures of linguistic diversity

Strengths
This index is especially useful when looking at the geography of languages and their geographical distribution and density. You can calculate density based on total population and total area (e.g., PNG 1/5,000; world 1/850,000; parts of PNG 1/30 sq km). If you have the number of speakers for each language, can determine the distributions of large and small languages. If you also have information about specific location of languages, can identify regions of high language density and low language density. This index shows the range of structural possibilities of languages. It reveals the diversity of ways of seeing and classifying the worlddiversity of world views. Having a catalogue of Types suggests possible relationships between language and adaptation to social, cultural, or environmental circumstances. Catalogues of Types reveals what solutions the human mind has invented that are popular (common across languages) and solutions that are rare. Such information may suggest constraints on the psychology (the mind/brain) of language.

Weaknesses
Numbers of languages gives no idea of different types of languages (i.e., the range of structures) or the historical relationship among the languages (i.e., their genetic or family relationships, if any)its only number of different languages. [Definition for different languages: mutually unintelligible, that is, speakers of language A cannot understand speakers of language B, and speakers of language B cannot understand speakers of language A.]

Numbers of languages

Types of languages

Typological similarity among languages does not guarantee genetic relationship: similar types of languages do not necessarily belong to the same language family. There may be no historical connection at all between similar types of languages; indeed, usually there is not. Also, a catalogue of language Types does not reveal how languages change from one type to another over time (i.e., their historical background, changes over time). It shows languages as they are structurally today. But! Having a catalogue of Types can suggest genetic relationships among a group of languages occupying the same region! Examples: many Turkic languages are SOV; many Thai languages are tonal. The general weakness of this diversity type is that languages do not only descend from parent languages (vertical transmission of language vocabulary, structures, etc.), but also borrow from other languages (horizontal transmission). In other words, the family tree model does not apply to all language groups. Examples: the family tree model does not work well among Australian and Amazonian languagesso much borrowing (vocabulary, structures) over time has made genetic relationships very difficult to uncover. [However, the family tree model works very well with some groups: e.g., Indo-European, Austronesian, Niger-Congo, Afro-Asiatic, etc. These are true language families.]

Families of languages

This index is especially useful when you want to determine the historical relationships among a group of languages; when you want to determine how languages change over time; how, over time, a mother language (e.g., Latin) split into daughter languages (e.g., French, Spanish, etc.). This index shows genetic relationships, that is which languages are related historically. So this information suggests possible human migration routes in historical time. We can also trace how languages change (e.g., how Old English became Modern English) We can also determine historical dates, and trace back Proto languages. Example: ProtoIndo-Europeana language reconstructed using information from all the daughter languages of the Indo-European family: German, Russian, Hindi, Persian, Urdu, etc.

Language ecologiesto see interrelationships among languages; to see processes behind language maintenance, spread, decline, extinction. To understand how languages grow, what factors underlie, so that we can see what Assess the health of a lang ecology By understanding the processes underlying a linguistic ecology, we can make intelligent adjustments aiming for desired outcomes. how high presting interacts with low prestige? how people distribute their com functions across languages what functions people ascribe to various languages how communication across function is achieved

Parallels with Biodiversity measures species diversity genetic diversity variation in DNA within populations population diversity habitat diversity ecosystem diversity food production based on domestication of wild plants and animal species arose independently at least 9 times 9 homelands of agriculture and herding from 8,500 BC to 2,500 BC triggered enormous advatages