What does "glottochronology" mean?

The method or study in estimating the time at which a related language diverged from its common ancestor.

What is a synonym for "glottochronology"?

Common synonyms include: derivation, etymology, glossematics, grammar, lexicology, linguistics.

Pronounced //ˌɡlɑːtoʊkɹəˈnɑːləd͡ʒi//.

//ˌɡlɑːtoʊkɹəˈnɑːləd͡ʒi// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The method or study in estimating the time at which a related language diverged from its common ancestor. uncountable
2
the determination of how long ago different languages evolved from a common source language wordnet

"Swadesh's glottochronology was based on the tenuous thesis that all languages have a core vocabulary that undergoes replacement at a constant rate."

From glotto- + chronology.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.