Glossary
Glossary of Register terms
The Register defines its own vocabulary. These are its definitions, kept on the pages where they were published.
SetRegister term
ChainRegister term
NetRegister term
Outer languageRegister term
Inner languageRegister term
PhylosectorRegister term
PhylozoneRegister term
MegalanguageRegister term
TranslingualRegister term
Boundaries of close relationshipRegister term
Where each term sits
| Level | Marked by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | One of ten top divisions of the whole linguasphere. Five are phylosectors (grouped by descent), five are geosectors (grouped by region). | 0= AFRICA |
| Zone | Ten zones inside each sector, numbered 00 to 99 across the whole scale. | 00= MANDIC |
| Set | The first grouping inside a zone, marked by a single capital letter. | 00-A MANDINKA + MENDE |
| Chain | A closer grouping inside a set, marked by two capitals. | 00-AA MANDINKA + SOSO |
| Net | The tightest grouping of related languages, marked by three capitals. | 00-AAA MANDINKA + BAMANAN |
| Outer language | What most people would simply call a language, marked by a small letter. | 00-AAA-a Mandinka + Khasonka |
| Inner language | A variety inside an outer language — often a dialect in everyday speech. | 00-AAA-aa mandinka-kango |
| Variety | A named form of an inner language: a written standard, a register, a period. | 53-AAA-eab russkiy-F |