Thalassic languages

Cardial-Impresso is a hypothetical language family proposed by Jörg Rhiemeier, being the language family of the Mediterranean Neolithic. The unit is named after the Neolithic archaeological cultures of the area.

It is very uncertain whether such a language family existed, though. There is some genetic evidence in favour of these cultures having been spread by immigration of farmers (demic diffusion), which makes the existence of a Cardial-Impresso language family plausible, but genes and languages do not always travel together. As the Basques appear to be descendants of those Neolithic farmers (see here), it is likely that Basque is the last surviving member of this family. It is also not unlikely, but entirely uncertain, that the languages of the Mediterranean Neolithic farmers were related to the languages of the Neolithic farmers north of the Alps, but the latter are entirely unknown (a relationship to the Indo-European languages appears unlikely).

Alternatively, Basque could descend from the language of a Mesolithic hunter/gatherer tribe that became one of warriors, subjugated the neighbouring farmers and imposed their language on them. This may have happened in several different places in Neolithic Europe.

See also

• Paleo-European languages
• Paleo-European history overview