# List of proposed language families

The following is a list of proposed language families, which connect established families into larger genetic groups (macro-families). Support for these proposals vary from case to case. For example, the Dené–Yeniseian languages are a recent proposal which has been generally well received, whereas reconstructions of the Proto-World language are often viewed as fringe science. Proposals which are themselves based on other proposals have the likelihood of their parts noted in parentheses.

## Under considerations

| Proposed name | Proposal | Agree | Disagree | Doubt |
| Alarodian | Alarodian Hurro-Urartian Northeast Caucasian | | | |
| Austric | Austric Austroasiatic Austronesian | Wilhelm Schmidt (initiator), La Vaughn H., Lawrence Reid, G. Diffloth, Paul Sidwell, Paul K. Benedict (later rejected), Sergei Starostin, John Bengtson, ASJP | | Robert Blust, Paul K. Benedict |
| Austric | Austric Austroasiatic Austronesian Japonic | Wilhelm Schmidt (initiator) | | Robert Blust, Paul K. Benedict |
| Austric | Austric Austroasiatic Hmong–Mien Austronesian Kra–Dai | Paul K. Benedict (initiator, later rejected), Sergei Starostin, John Bengtson | | Robert Blust, Paul K. Benedict |
| Austric | Austric Ainu Austroasiatic Hmong–Mien Austronesian Kra–Dai Nihali | John Bengtson (initiator) | | Robert Blust, Paul K. Benedict |
| Austro-Tai | Austro-Tai Austronesian Kra–Dai | Paul Benedict (initiator, also including Japanese), Ostapirat, Smith | Thurgood | Sagart |
| Aztec–Tanoan | Aztec–Tanoan Tanoan Uto-Aztecan | | | |
| Chukotko-Kamchatkan–Amuric | Chukotko-Kamchatkan–Amuric Chukotko-Kamchatkan Nivkh | | | |
| Dené–Yeniseian | Dené–Yeniseian Na-Dene Yeniseian | Alfredo Trombetti (initiator), Merritt Ruhlen, Edward Vajda, Michael Krauss, Jeff Leer, James Kari, Heinrich Werner, Bernard Comrie, Johanna Nichols, Victor Golla, Michael Fortescue, Eric Hamp, Bill Poser, and Paul Kiparsky | George Starostin (Vajda's proposal) | |
| Gulf | Gulf Atakapa Chitimacha Muskogean Natchez Tunica | | | |
| Hokan | Hokan Chimariko Coahuilteco Comecrudan Esselen Jicaquean Karuk Palaihnihan Shastan Pomoan Salinan Seri Tequistlatecan Washo Yana Yuman–Cochimí | | | |
| Ibero-Caucasian | Ibero-Caucasian Kartvelian Northeast Caucasian Northwest Caucasian | | | |
| Indo-Uralic | Indo-Uralic Indo-European Uralic | Holger Pedersen (initiator), Kortlandt, Hannes Sköld, Alwin Kloekhorst, and Nikolai Dmitrievich Andreev | Christian Carpelan, Asko Parpola, Petteri Koskikallio, Angela Marcantonio, and Johan Schalin | |
| Indo-Uralic | Indo-Uralic Indo-European Uralic–Yukaghir Uralic Yukaghir | Kortlandt (initiator) | Christian Carpelan, Asko Parpola, Petteri Koskikallio, Angela Marcantonio, and Johan Schalin | |
| Je–Tupi–Carib | Je–Tupi–Carib Cariban Macro-Jê Bororoan Jaikó Jê Kamakã Karajá Kariri Krenak Maxakalían Ofayé Purian Rikbaktsa Yabutian Tupian | | | |
| Karasuk | Karasuk Burushaski Yeniseian | | | |
| Macro-Chibchan | Macro-Chibchan Chibchan Lencan Misumalpan | | | |
| Macro-Jê | Macro-Jê Bororoan Jaikó Jê Kamakã Karajá Kariri Krenak Maxakalían Ofayé Purian Rikbaktsa Yabutian | | | |
| Macro-Pama–Nyungan | Macro-Pama–Nyungan Garawan Macro-Gunwinyguan Pama–Nyungan Tangkic | | | |
| Macro-Panoan | Macro-Panoan Moseten–Chonan Chimane Chonan Pano-Tacanan Panoan Tacanan | | | |
| Macro-Siouan | Macro-Siouan Caddoan Iroquoian Siouan Yuchi | | | |
| Mataco–Guaicuru | Mataco–Guaicuru Guaicuruan Matacoan | | | |
| Miao–Dai | Miao–Dai Hmong–Mien Kra–Dai | Ryuichi Kosaka (initiator) | | |
| Niger–Congo | Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Dogon Ijaw Katloid Mande Rashad | | | |
| Nilo-Saharan | Nilo-Saharan Kuliak Saharan Bʼaga Eastern Sudanic Kadu Koman Berta Central Sudanic Fur Kunama Maban Songhay | | | |
| North Caucasian | North Caucasian Northeast Caucasian Northwest Caucasian | | | |
| Pontic | Pontic Indo-European Northwest Caucasian | Émile Benveniste, Winfred P. Lehmann, Aert Kuipers, and John Colarusso | | |
| Quechumaran | Quechumaran Aymaran Quechuan | | | |
| Serbi–Mongolic | Serbi–Mongolic Mongolic Para-Mongolic | | | |
| Sino-Austronesian | Sino-Austronesian Austronesian Kra–Dai Sino-Tibetan | Laurent Sagart (initiator), Stanley Starosta | Weera Ostapirat, Alexander Vovin, George van Driem | Paul Jen-kuei Li and Robert Blust |
| Totozoquean | Totozoquean Chitimacha Mixe–Zoque Totonacan | | | |
| Uralic–Yukaghir | Uralic–Yukaghir Uralic Yukaghir | | | |
| Uralo-Siberian | Uralo-Siberian Eskaleut Uralic–Yukaghir Uralic Yukaghir | Michael Fortescue (initiator), Frederik Kortlandt | | |
| Uralo-Siberian | Uralo-Siberian Eskaleut Nivkh Uralic–Yukaghir Uralic Yukaghir | Frederik Kortlandt (initiator) | | |
| Yok-Utian | Yok-Utian Utian Yokuts | Geoffrey Gamble(initiator), Catherine Callaghan | | |
| Yuki–Wappo | Yuki–Wappo Wappo Yuki | | | |

## Widely rejected

Below are language families that are already rejected by most linguists. As they are widely rejected, only linguists who agree are shown.
| Proposed name | Description | Status | Agree |
| Almosan | Algic, Kutenai and Mosan | Widely rejected | |
| Amerind | All languages in the Americas which do not belong to the Eskimo–Aleut or Na–Dene families | Widely rejected | |
| Altaic | Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, Koreanic and Japonic (and possibly Ainu) | Widely rejected; generally considered a Sprachbund | |
| Austronesian–Ongan | Ongan and Austronesian | Widely rejected | Juliette Blevins (initiator) |
| Borean | All families except in sub-Saharan Africa, New Guinea, Australia, and the Andaman Islands | Widely rejected | |
| Coahuiltecan | Native languages of modern Texas | Sprachbund | |
| Dene–Caucasian | Na-Dené, North Caucasian, Sino-Tibetan, Yeniseian, and others. | Widely rejected | |
| Dravido-Korean | Dravidian and Koreanic | Obsolete | |
| Elamo-Dravidian | Elamite and Dravidian | Widely rejected | |
| Eurasiatic | Indo-European, Uralic and Altaic | Widely rejected | |
| Indo-Pacific | Several Pacific families. | Widely rejected | |
| Indo-Semitic | Indo-European languages and Semitic languages or Afroasiatic languages | Widely rejected | |
| Khoisan | African click-consonant languages that do not belong to any other macrophyla | Widely rejected | |
| Macro-Mayan | Mayan with Totonacan, Mixe–Zoque, and Huave | Widely rejected | |
| Mosan | Salishan, Wakashan, and Chimakuan languages of Pacific Northwest North America | Sprachbund | |
| Nostratic | Afroasiatic, Kartvelian, Dravidian and Eurasiatic | Widely rejected | |
| Proto-World | Reconstructed common ancestor of all living languages | Widely rejected | Alfredo Trombetti (initiator) |
| Ural–Altaic | Uralic and Altaic | Obsolete; considered a linguistic convergence zone | |
| Sino-Uralic | Uralic, Sinitic | ? | Jingyi Gao (initiator) |