World's Languages

The classifications given in the ENE-EE language maps are mainly taken as a basis, but newer approaches (including Ethnologue and Linguist List) have also been taken into account. In the case of American Indian languages, hypothetical tribes and major tribes have been given, although the majority of modern approaches do not follow them. The issues related to the classification of languages ​​are sometimes commented on in the full entry. The main goal of the database is to bring together different forms of names that are used to designate languages, peoples, language groups, etc., and to select from them those that are linguistically advisable. The classifications reflected in the database into languages ​​and dialects, language families, etc. cannot be considered final, the user always has the opportunity to adjust them at will. If, for example, the database contains Karelian, Livvian and Lydian languages, this means nothing more than that the ISO standard has given these language forms their own codes, which does not exclude, for example, writing about Karelian and its Aunus and Lydian dialects. When it comes to the names of language groups, it is important to keep in mind that although many names are synonymous, different authors have given them different meanings (see, for example, the note under Niger-Kordofan languages).