Editing Language isolate (section)

== Isolates v. unclassified languages ==
[[Unclassified language]]s are different from language isolates in that they have no demonstrable genetic relationships to other languages due to a lack of sufficient data. In order to be considered a language isolate, a language needs to have sufficient data for comparisons with other languages through methods of [[Historical linguistics|historical-comparative linguistics]] to show that it does not have any genetic relationships.<ref name=":1" />

Many extinct languages and living languages today are very poorly attested, and the fact that they cannot be linked to other languages may be a reflection of our poor knowledge of them. [[Hattic language|Hattic]], [[Gutian language|Gutian]], and [[Kassite language|Kassite]] are all considered unclassified languages, but their status is disputed by a minority of linguists.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mallory|first=J. P.|title=The Tarim mummies: ancient China and the mystery of the earliest peoples from the West, with 190 illustrations, 13 in color|date=2000|publisher=Thames & Hudson|others=Victor H. Mair|isbn=0-500-05101-1|location=New York, N.Y.|oclc=43378559}}</ref> Many extinct languages of the [[Americas]] such as [[Cayuse language|Cayuse]] and [[Majena language|Majena]] may likewise have been isolates.<ref>{{Cite book|last=A.|first=Leitch, Barbara|title=A Concise dictionary of Indian tribes of North America|date=1979|publisher=Algonac, MI|oclc=868981165}}</ref> Several unclassified languages could also be language isolates, but linguists cannot be sure of this without sufficient evidence.<ref name=":1" />