Languages with no demonstrated relationship to any other known language, so that each stands alone as the only member of its own family. Basque is Europe's only known language isolate, Sumerian was a language isolate spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, and Ainu is a dormant language isolate of northern Japan. Each preserves a distinct body of religious vocabulary and tradition that cannot be traced to a wider family of languages.
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Isolates (Language Families)
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Ainu language (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Ainu (Language Isolate), Article text, classQuote, Has Member: Ainu (Language Isolate), Article text, class
In 2017, linguistics researcher Thomas Dougherty stated that "Ainu is a dormant language isolate previously spoken on the northernmost Japanese island of HokkaidÅ," and on his website he repeats that the language is "dormant".
Basque language (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Basque, Lead sentence, classQuote, Has Member: Basque, Lead sentence, class
Basque is Europe's only known language isolate (with no relation to any other known languages) and the only surviving language of Paleo-European origin.
Sumerian language (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Sumerian, Lead sentence, classQuote, Has Member: Sumerian, Lead sentence, class
It is a local language isolate, thus unrelated to any other known language, that was spoken exclusively in ancient Mesopotamia, in the area that is now modern-day Iraq.
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