Definition & Meaning of "language cluster"

What is a "language cluster"?

A language cluster is a group of languages that are closely related and share similar features, such as vocabulary, grammar, and phonetics. These languages often belong to the same language family and have evolved from a common ancestor. Language clusters can be found within larger families, like the Romance languages, which include Spanish, French, and Italian, or the Slavic languages, which include Russian, Polish, and Czech. Studying language clusters helps researchers understand the relationships between languages and how they have developed over time.