Chapter Lexikostatistik 2.0*

Abstract

In the middle of the 20th century there were various attempts to classify Languages ​​with the help of word lists that correspond to the basic vocabulary of the relevant Languages ​​are taken to automate. These methods have been and are being critically discussed in historical linguistics since The results obtained often proved to be faulty. In recent years, we are experiencing a new upswing lexicostatistically and glottochronological approaches. Their chances of success are essential today better than half a century ago, as we now have large amounts of comparative data available in electronic form, and computational linguistics and bioinformatics provide powerful tools for statistically evaluating these data. This article presents a case study illustrating the potential of lexicostatistical methods in the 21st century.