Global Mapping International

World Language Phyla/Family Mapping

Dr. Stephen Huffman

GMI Home > WLMS > WLMS user projects > Huffman

Contents Abstract What's New as of 3 May 2006 Usage Notes Maps with PDF downloads Classification data and ArcGIS project file downloads Additional map (Indo European Language Family)

Abstract Dr. Huffman has classified the languages of the Ethnologue into broader groupings following Merritt Ruhlen’s A Guide to the World’s Languages (published 1987, 1991 by Stanford University Press), and has produced as series of maps of language phyla and families using this classified data and several versions of GMI's World Language Mapping System and Seamless Digital Chart of the World geographic data sets. PDF versions of the maps available for download, as are Dr. Huffman's data table and ArcGIS project files. For additional discussion of both language classification and the initial mapping process, see Dr. Huffman's paper describing this work: Mapping The Genetic Relationships of the World’s Languages (pdf).

What's New

As of 3 May 2006

• PDF files have been recreated with WLMS 3.2 (15th Edition Ethnologue) with higher resolution and improved compression (better quality with smaller files).
• Data and map project download for WLMS version 3.0-3.1 (14th Edition Ethnologue) updated to fix file reference problems.
• Data and map project download for WLMS version 3.2 (15th Edition Ethnologue) added

Usage Notes

• The PDF files are fairly large. We recommend downloading first, then opening the file in Adobe Reader. Most browsers support this with a right-click (Windows) or option-click (Mac) on the download link. See your browser's help system for details. Those with slow or unreliable connections are advised to use a download manager. We use Fresh Download.
• Maps in this series were designed to be printed on large-format (36" wide or greater) primters. Adobe Reader allows printing at smaller sizes, but text and language borders may be unreadable. Full detail may be seen by zooming in on-screen in Adobe Reader. Large format printers can be found in most cities in sign shops and larger print/copy shops. GMI's custom mapping service will also print and mail these maps in sizes up to 36 inches in the narrower dimension.
• To find a specific language, zoom into the map until language names are visible, then use Acrobat's Find (ctrl-F) function to move to the part of the map containing the language you are looking for. Name are from the 14th Edition Ethnologue; names can be looked up at www.ethnologue.com.
• Permission is granted to reprint these maps for personal, academic, or nonprofit use. For for-profit publication, contact Dr. Huffman.

Maps Produced with the World Language Mapping System and Seamless Digital Chart of the World

Maps previewed on this page and available for download were produced with version 3.2 of the World Language Mapping System (WLMS), corresponding to the 15th Edition of the Ethnologue, and version 3.1 of GMI's Seamless Digital Chart of the World (SDCW). ArcGIS project files and classification data tables are available for both WLMS 3.2 and WLMS 3.0-3.1 (14th Edition Ethnologue).

The World's Language Phyla

66 x 34 in (download PDF - 4 MB)

Languages of Africa

36 x 44 in (download PDF - 3.4 MB)

Languages of the Horn of Africa

34 x44 in (download PDF - 2.1 MB)

Languages of China

38 x 72 in (download PDF - 5.6 MB)

detail from map above:

The Eurasiatic Language Phylum

60 x 36 in (download PDF - 6.8 MB)

Languages of the Indian Subcontinent

36 x 44 in (download PDF - 2.2 MB)

Languages of Southeast Asia

34 x 44 in (download PDF - 3.5 MB)

Languages of Sudan

34 x 44 in (download PDF - 1.7 MB)

Classification Data and ArcGIS project files

Download classification data table and GIS project files used to produce the maps above. Classification table is .DBF format, importable by most spreadsheet and database programs. GIS project files are in .MXD format for use with ESRI's ArcGIS 9.x and require GMI's World Language Mapping System [WLMS] and Seamless Digital Chart of the World [SDCW] data products.

• huffman-WLMS-31.zip for use with WLMS v. 3.1 (14th Edition Ethnologue) and SDCW v. 3.0 or 3.1
• huffman-WLMS-32.zip for use with WLMS v. 3.2 (15th Edition Ethnologue) and SDCW v. 3.0 or 3.1

Notes:

• To use these files to produce maps with ArcGIS, WLMS, and SDCW (assuming all are installed), save the .zip to c:\GMI_Geodata\projects (if the WLMS and SDCW are installed in their default locations), then right click on the zip file and choose "expand to here" using WinZip). You should end up with all files in a folder c:\GMI_Geodata\projects\huffman. Simply open the ArcMap project files to use. If you have WLMS but not DCW, data for some layers will be missing and will be marked with a red ! in the ArcMap Table of Contents.
• An earlier version of the version 3.1 zip file contained project files with incorrect file paths. These are corrected in the current version.

Map Produced with a WLMS Prototype (World Databank II Base Map)

The IndoEuropean Language Family

34 x 44 in (download PDF - 9 MB)