The Language families of Asia

Asia is home to hundreds of languages comprising several families and some unrelated isolates. The most spoken language families on the continent include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Japonic, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turkic, Sino-Tibetan and Kra–Dai. Many languages of Asia, such as Kurdish, Sanskrit, Arabic or Tamil, have a long history as a written language.

Language groups

Ethnolinguistic distribution in Central/Southwest Asia of the Altaic, Caucasian, Afroasiatic (Hamito-Semitic) and Indo-European families.

The major families in terms of numbers is Indo-European, specifically Indo-Aryan languages and Dravidian languages in South Asia; and Sino-Tibetan in East Asia. Several other families are regionally dominant.

Sino-Tibetan

Sino-Tibetan includes Chinese, Tibetan, Burmese, Karen, Boro and numerous languages of the Tibetan Plateau, southern China, Burma, and North east India.

Indo-European

The Indo-European languages are primarily represented by the Indo-Iranian branch, with its two main subgroups: Indo-Aryan (represented by a large number of languages in the subcontinent such as Hindi–Urdu, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi,Rajasthani, Gujarati) and Iranic (including languages like Persian, Kurdish and Pashto, which are spoken in Iran and neighbouring regions).

In addition, other branches of Indo-European spoken in Asia include the Slavic branch, which includes Russian in Siberia; Greek around the Black Sea; and Armenian; as well as extinct languages such as Hittite of Anatolia and Tocharian of (Chinese) Turkestan.

Altaic families

A number of smaller, but important and separately distinguished language families spread across central and northern Asia have long been linked in a hypothetical, controversial and unproven Altaic family. These are the Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic (including Manchu), Koreanic, and Japonic languages. But recently, it is often considered as Sprachbund by the majority.

Austroasiatic

The Mon–Khmer languages (also known as Austroasiatic) are the language family in South and Southeast Asia. Languages given official status are Vietnamese and Khmer (Cambodian).

Kra–Dai

The Kra–Dai languages (also known as Tai-Kadai) are found in southern China, Northeast India and Southeast Asia. Languages given official status are Thai (Siamese) and Lao.

Austronesian

The Austronesian languages are widespread throughout Maritime Southeast Asia, including major languages such as Fijian (Fiji), Hiligaynon, Bikol, Ilocano, Cebuano, Tagalog (Philippines), and Malay (Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore). Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese of Indonesia, as well as Indonesian which is the largest language in this family.

Dravidian

The Dravidian languages of South India and parts of Sri Lanka include Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu, while smaller languages such as Gondi and Brahui are spoken in central India and Pakistan respectively.

Afro-Asiatic

The Afroasiatic languages (in older sources Hamito-Semitic) are represented in Asia by the Semitic branch. Semitic languages are spoken in Western Asia, and include Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic, in addition to extinct languages such as Akkadian.

Siberian families

Besides the Altaic families already mentioned (of which Tungusic is today a minor family of Siberia), there are a number of small language families and isolates spoken across northern Asia. These include the Uralic languages of western Siberia (better known for Hungarian and Finnish in Europe), the Yeniseian languages (linked to Turkic and to the Athabaskan languages of North America), Yukaghir, Nivkh of Sakhalin, Ainu of northern Japan, Chukotko-Kamchatkan in easternmost Siberia, and—just barely—Eskimo–Aleut. Some linguists have noted that the Koreanic languages share more similarities with the Paleosiberian languages than with the Altaic languages. The extinct Rouran language of Mongolia is unclassified, and does not show genetic relationships with any other known language family.

Caucasian families

Three small families are spoken in the Caucasus: Kartvelian languages, such as Georgian; Northeast Caucasian (Dagestanian languages), such as Chechen; and Northwest Caucasian, such as Circassian. The latter two may be related to each other. The extinct Hurro-Urartian languages may be related as well.

Small families of Asia

Although dominated by major languages and families, there are number of minor families and isolates in South Asia and Southeast Asia. From west to east, these include:

Creoles and pidgins

The eponymous pidgin ("business") language developed with European trade in China. Of the many creoles to have developed, the most spoken today are Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole of the Philippines, and various Malay-based creoles such as Manado Malay influenced by Portuguese. A very well-known Portuguese-based creole is the Kristang, which is spoken in Malacca, a city-state in Malaysia.

Sign languages

A number of sign languages are spoken throughout Asia. These include the Japanese Sign Language family, Chinese Sign Language, Indo-Pakistani Sign Language, as well as a number of small indigenous sign languages of countries such as Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many official sign languages are part of the French Sign Language family.

Official languages

Asia and Europe are the only two continents where most countries use native languages as their official languages, though English is also widespread as an international language.

Language Native name Total Speakers Language family Official status in a country Official Status in a region
AbkhazАԥсшәа240,000Northwest CaucasianAbkhazia
AltaiАлтай тил57,000TurkicRussia
Arabicالعَرَبِيَّة313,000,000Afro-AsiaticBahrain
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
UAE
Yemen
Armenianհայերեն5,902,970Indo-EuropeanArmenia
Artsakh
Assameseঅসমীয়া15,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndia
AzerbaijaniAzərbaycanca28,000,000TurkicAzerbaijan
Balochi بلۏچی

Balòči

7,600,000 Indo-European Pakistan

Iran

Balti بلتی

སྦལ་ཏི།

392,800 Sino-Tibetan Pakistan
Bengaliবাংলা230,000,000Indo-EuropeanBangladeshIndia
BikolBikol
Bikol Naga
4,300,000AustronesianPhilippines
Bodoबर'/बड़
Boro
1,984,569Sino-TibetanNepal

India

Burmeseမြန်မာဘာသာ33,000,000Sino-TibetanMyanmar
Cantonese廣東話/广东话7,877,900Sino-TibetanChina
BuryatБуряад хэлэн
ᠪᠤᠷᠢᠶᠠᠳ
ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ
ᠬᠡᠯᠡᠨ
440,000MongolicRussia
CebuanoBisaya
Binisaya
Sinugbuanong_Binisaya
Sebwano/Sinebwano
27,500,000AustronesianPhilippines
ChinKukish3,000,000Sino-TibetanMyanmar
Chinese Mandarin普通話/普通话
國語/国语
華語/华语
1,300,000,000Sino-TibetanChina
Singapore
Taiwan
Myanmar
Dariدری19,600,000Indo-EuropeanAfghanistan
Dhivehiދިވެހިބަސް400,000Indo-EuropeanMaldives
Dzongkhaརྫོང་ཁ་600,000Sino-TibetanBhutan
Filipino (Tagalog)Wikang Filipino106,000,000AustronesianPhilippines
Formosan171,855AustronesianRepublic of China
Georgianქართული4,200,000KartvelianGeorgia
Gujaratiગુજરાતી50,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndia
Hakka客家話/客家话
Hak-kâ-fa
2,370,000Sino-TibetanRepublic of China
Hebrewעברית7,000,000Afro-AsiaticIsrael
Hindiहिन्दी615,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndia
HiligaynonHiligaynon
Ilonggo
Hiniligaynon/Inilonggo
9,100,000AustronesianPhilippines
Hokchiu馬祖話
Mā-cū-huâ
12,000Sino-TibetanRepublic of China
Hokkien臺灣話
Tâi-oân-oē
18,570,000Sino-TibetanRepublic of China
IbanagIbanag500,000AustronesianPhilippines
IlocanoPagsasao nga Ilokano11,000,000AustronesianPhilippines
IndonesianBahasa Indonesia270,000,000AustronesianIndonesia
Timor Leste (Working languages)
Japanese日本語120,000,000JaponicJapan (de facto)
JavaneseBasa Jawa
ꦧꦱꦗꦮ
بَاسَا جَاوَا
80,000,000AustronesianIndonesia
KachinJinghpaw940,000Sino-TibetanMyanmar
Kannadaಕನ್ನಡ51,000,000DravidianIndia
KapampanganKapampangan/Pampangan2,800,000AustronesianPhilippines
Karenကညီကျိာ်း6,000,000Sino-TibetanMyanmar
Kashmiri कॉशुर

كٲشُر

7,000,000 Indo-European India
KayahKarenni190,000Sino-TibetanMyanmar
KarakalpakQaraqalpaqsha870,000TurkicUzbekistan
KazakhQazaqsha18,000,000TurkicKazakhstanChina

Russia

KhakasХакас тілі
Тадар тілі
43,000TurkicRussia
Khmerភាសាខ្មែរ16,000,000AustroasiaticCambodia
Korean조선어
한국어
80,000,000KoreanicNorth Korea
South Korea
China
KurdishKurdî
کوردی
25,000,000Indo-EuropeanMiddle east
KyrgyzКыргызча
قىرعىزچا
7,300,000TurkicKyrgyzstanChina
Laoພາສາລາວ7,000,000Kra-DaiLaos
Maguindanaoبس ماگینداناو

Maguindanaon

1,500,000AustronesianPhilippines
MalayBahasa Melayu
بهاس ملايو
30,000,000AustronesianBrunei
Malaysia
Singapore
Indonesia
Malayalamമലയാളം37,000,000DravidianIndia
Marathiमराठी99,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndia
Maithiliमैथिली34,000,000Indo-European

Nepal

India

Meiteiꯃꯤꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ
মৈতৈ
Manipuri
2,000,000Sino-TibetanIndia
Monဘာသာ မန်851,000AustroasiaticMyanmar
MongolianМонгол хэл
ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ
ᠬᠡᠯᠡ
5,200,000MongolicMongoliaChina
Nepaliनेपाली29,000,000Indo-EuropeanNepalIndia
Odiaଓଡ଼ିଆ35,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndia
OssetianИрон540,000
(50,000 in South Ossetia)
Indo-EuropeanSouth Ossetia
PangasinanPangasinan1,400,000AustronesianPhilippines
Pashtoپښتو60,000,000Indo-EuropeanAfghanistanPakistan
Persianفارسی
Форсӣ
130,000,000Indo-EuropeanAfghanistan (as Dari)
Iran
Tajikistan (as Tajik)
Punjabiਪੰਜਾਬੀ
پن٘جابی
113,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndiaIndia

Pakistan

Rakhineရခိုင်ဘာသာ1,000,000Sino-TibetanMyanmar
RohingyaRuáingga1,800,000Indo-European
RussianРусский260,000,000Indo-EuropeanAbkhazia (co-official)
Armenia (inter-ethnic communication)
Azerbaijan (inter-ethnic communication)
Georgia (inter-ethnic communication)
Kazakhstan (co-official)
Kyrgyzstan (co-official)

Russia
South Ossetia (state)
Tajikistan (inter-ethnic communication)
Turkmenistan (inter-ethnic communication)
Uzbekistan (inter-ethnic communication)

Santaliᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ7,600,000AustroasiaticIndia

(Additional)

Shanၽႃႇသႃႇတႆ3,295,000Kra-DaiMyanmar
Sindhiسنڌي40,000,000Indo-EuropeanIndiaPakistan
Sinhalaසිංහල18,000,000Indo-EuropeanSri Lanka
TajikТоҷикӣ7,900,000Indo-EuropeanTajikistan
Tamilதமிழ்96,000,000DravidianSingapore
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
India
Tausugبَهَسَ سُوگ

Bahasa Suluk

1,200,000AustronesianPhilippines

Malaysia

Teluguతెలుగు86,000,000DravidianIndia
TetumLia-Tetun500,000AustronesianTimor LesteIndonesia
Thaiภาษาไทย60,000,000Kra-DaiThailand
Tibetanབོད་སྐད་1,172,940Sino-TibetanChina
TripuriTripuri3,500,000Sino-TibetanIndia
Tuluತುಳು1,722,768DravidianIndia
TurkishTürkçe88,000,000TurkicTurkey
Northern Cyprus
Cyprus
TurkmenTürkmençe7,000,000TurkicTurkmenistan
TuvanТыва дыл240,000TurkicRussia
Urduاُردُو62,120,540Indo-EuropeanPakistanIndia
Uyghurئۇيغۇرچە10,416,910TurkicChina
UzbekOʻzbekcha
Ўзбекча
45,000,000TurkicUzbekistan
Vietnamese㗂越

Tiếng Việt

86,500,000AustroasiaticVietnam (de facto)
WarayWinaray/Waray4,000,000AustronesianPhilippines
YakutСаха тыла450,000TurkicRussia
ZhuangVahcuengh16,000,000Kra-DaiChina

See also

References

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