ANA
TOLIAN
CEL
TIC
IN
D
O-
IR
AN
IA
N
G
R
E
E
K
G
E
R
M
A
N
IC
IT
A
L
IC
BRYTHO
NIC
GAELIC
LA
TI
N
- F
AL
IS
CA
N
KO
IN
E
IND
O-A
RYA
N
PA
HL
AVI
IR
AN
IA
N
NO
RT
H
GE
RM
AN
IC
INSUL
ARCELTIC
Sanskrit
Celtiberian
IrishGaelic
Breton
Pictish
ScottishGaelic
Welsh
Ga
ul
is
h
Pali
Moder
nG
ree
k
No
rwe
gian
Ic
el
an
di
c
Da
ni
sh
S
w
ed
is
h
G
er
m
an
Afr
ika
an
s
Du
tc
h
En
gl
is
h
Sogd
ian
Go
th
ic
Fe
ro
es
e
rF
si
ia
n
PRAKRIT
VEDICSANS
KRIT
OL
DP
ER
SIA
N
BALTO-
SLAVIC
WE
ST
GE
RM
AN
IC
LA
NG
UA
GE
S
Hittite
Palaic
Luwian
CLASSICALGREEK
Nepali
Marathi
Bengali
Hindi
VE
DI
C
PR
AK
RI
TS
CONTI
NEN
TA
L
CELT
IC
TOCHARIAN
Saka Avestan
Nuristani
Lepontic
Tocharian A
Tocharian B
FarsiormodernPersian
20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
Hittite
CEL
Welsh
Principal branch of Indo-European
Living language
Dead language
ROOTS
AND BRANCHES
INDO-EUROPEAN
Linguists identify 10 main branches that
sprang from Indo-European, in turn leading
to multiple subbranches, many of which
are shown here. Like any ancient tree, some
branches still thrive, while others have
withered and faded.