lexicostatistics: Meaning and Definition of

lex•i•co•sta•tis•tics

Pronunciation: (lek"si-kō-stu-tis'tiks), [key]
— n. (used with a sing. v.) Ling.
  1. the statistical study of the vocabulary of a language or languages for historical purposes. Cf. glottochronology.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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