Austric

Austric is a term used primarily in linguistics to describe the hypothetical ancestral language of the Indo-European language family. It is often referred to as Proto-Indo-European (PIE) and is the most widely studied proto-language in the field of historical linguistics. Austric languages, which include Austronesian and Tai-Kadai languages, are not directly related to Indo-European, but the term Austric itself is sometimes used colloquially to contrast with Indo-European languages, though this usage is not standard.

The concept of Austric as a distinct language family is debated among linguists. Some scholars propose that certain Austronesian languages, particularly those spoken in Southeast Asia, may have shared features with Proto-Indo-European due to long-term contact and borrowing. However, most linguists classify Austronesian languages under the broader Austronesian language family, which is unrelated to Indo-European.

The term "Austric" was introduced by linguists to describe a hypothetical language family that existed before the divergence of Indo-European and Austronesian languages, though this classification is not universally accepted. The Indo-European language family, which includes languages like English, Sanskrit, and Russian, is better documented and studied due to its widespread historical records and extensive comparative research.

In summary, while Austric is sometimes used in discussions about language families, it is not a recognized term in mainstream linguistics. The study of Proto-Indo-European remains the primary focus for understanding the origins of this major language group.