Home▸Mathematics▸Linguistics Historical Linguistics Simulation

🧪 Linguistics Historical Linguistics Simulation

Interactive lexicostatistics simulator: watch a proto-language's core vocabulary randomly replace itself generation by generation, split into daughter languages, and see the glottochronology formula estimate elapsed time from measured cognate retention.

Mathematics2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted

This simulation investigates the evolution of languages through historical linguistics by making one concrete, well-defined mechanism visible: the constant-rate lexical replacement model behind glottochronology. A proto-language's core vocabulary — represented as 24 word-slots — randomly replaces individual words generation by generation. Splitting a branch creates two daughter languages that inherit an identical vocabulary snapshot and then drift apart independently, exactly like real language families shaped by changes in vocabulary over time. Live readouts track cognate retention between the most recently split pair and feed it back through the glottochronology formula to estimate how many generations have passed since divergence, letting you compare that estimate directly against the actual simulated elapsed time.

⚙ Under the hood

This simulation allows users to investigate the evolution of languages through historical linguistics. It demonstrates how changes in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary have shaped different language families over time.

Historical Linguistics

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install