glottochronology
noun
glot·to·chro·nol·o·gy
ˌglä-tō-krə-ˈnä-lə-jē 
: a linguistic method that uses the rate of vocabulary replacement to estimate the date of divergence for distinct but genetically related languages
Cite this Entry
“Glottochronology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glottochronology. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share