Algkeeles

Algkeeles is a term derived from the Estonian word *algkeel*, which literally means “original language” or “ancestral tongue.” In comparative linguistics the term is used to refer to the hypothetical proto-language that gave rise to a group of related languages. It is often used in the context of Finno-Ugric or Indo‑European studies to denote the earliest stage of a language family before the diversification into its daughter languages.

The concept of algkeeles is closely linked to the notion of a proto‑language. Linguists reconstruct graphemes, phonemes, and lexical items of the parent language by analysing systematic sound correspondences, shared morphology, and cognates among its descendants. The reconstructed forms are called *prototypes* or *proto‑forms*, and they serve as the basis for comparative evidence.

In practical application, researchers may refer to the **algkeele** of the Baltic Finnic branch to discuss features that are shared across Estonian, Finnish, and other Finnic tongues but not found in other Uralic languages. Similarly, in Indo‑European scholarship, the Proto‑Indo‑European language is sometimes described as the *algkeele* of that family.

The term is rarely used in everyday language outside academic environments; it remains a specialized lexical item within historical linguistics. Sources for further reading include standard works on proto‑language reconstruction, such as the *Proto‑Indic* volumes in the “Vedic” series and the *Proto‑Baltic* studies in Finno‑Ugric comparative grammars.