Geolinguistics

Geolinguistics (Hindi: भूभाषाविज्ञान) is regarded by some as a specific area within linguistics, while others see it as an extension of language geography, which itself is a subfield of human geography. When viewed as a linguistic discipline, geolinguistics can be approached from various linguistic angles, leading to significant research implications. The study of geolinguistics encompasses both dialectology and the exploration of linguistic features across different regions.

In one scholarly tradition that considers geolinguistics part of linguistics, there is a clear acknowledgment of how map-making contributes to linguistic studies. Terms such as dialect geography, language geography, and linguistic geography are often used interchangeably with geolinguistics. This correlation is evident in multiple languages, including Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. In German, alongside the association of geolinguistics with Sprachgeographie (language geography) and Dialektgeographie (dialect geography), the term Areallinguistik (areal linguistics) is also used synonymously.