isogloss
/ˈaɪsəɡlɑs/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A line on a map indicating the geographical boundaries of a linguistic feature.
noun
A linguistic feature shared between languages or language varieties, through any of various mechanisms, whether genetic inheritance or other linguistic forces.
Example Sentences
- "Bloch thinks (and we agree with him) that details of isogloss will probably not bear out this kind of grouping."
- "The convergence of multiple isoglosses on a map, a "bundle", indicates a boundary between one regional dialect and another."
- "There was also a tendency to treat transitive verbs passively, as in Hurrian and Urarṭian; it must, however, be emphasized that this phenomenon may also be considered as an isogloss rather than as an indication of genetic relationship."
- "It is likely that the Sardinian forms are related to Lat. afrissa 'dragon lily'. The question regarding its etymology is all but resolved however. It is not quite clear where Pseudo-Apuleius' herbarium [the only known use of afrissa] was composed. If it is North African, as has been proposed, this might be yet another instance of a Sardinian-African Romance isogloss, possibly due to Punic influence."
- "PIE and its earliest-attested descendants evince a number of isoglosses with the Semitic languages of West Asia, indicating borrowing in one direction or another."
Etymology
From iso- + gloss, ultimately from Ancient Greek ἴσος (ísos, “equal”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wi- (“to separate”)) + γλῶσσα (glôssa, “tongue; language”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *glōgʰs).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈaɪsəɡlɑs/
- British English: /ˈaɪsə(ʊ̯)ɡlɒs/
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Linguistics.