Figurative uses developed from sense A. 2. A race, ethnical kindred; also, a race or family (of animals or plants); a related group, ‘family’ (of…

A group of languages deriving from a single ancestor or parent. Cf. language family n. at language, n. compounds 3.

a group of language families sharing features thought to indicate a shared origin.

a group of languages deriving from a single ancestor or parent; = language family n. at language, n. compounds 3.

= language family n.

a group of languages deriving from a single ancestor or parent.

A hypothetical pre-Indo-European language, or cluster of pre-Indo-European cognate languages, including Rhaetic and Etruscan. Cf. Rhaetic, adj., Etr…

a grouping of languages of a higher order than a phylum, i.e. including languages believed to be less closely related than those of one phylum.

Linguistics. A group of languages related, or believed to be related, less closely than those of a family or stock.