lexicostatistic
/ˌlɛksɪkoʊstəˈtɪstɪk/
adjective
- Relating to the statistical analysis of vocabulary, especially for comparing languages or studying language change.
- Lexicostatistic methods help linguists estimate how long ago two languages split apart.
- Lexicostatistic data can reveal patterns in how quickly languages lose old words.
- The researcher used a lexicostatistic approach to compare word lists from different dialects.