| extinct language | a language that was once used by people in daily activities but is no longer used |
| habit | repetitive act performed by a particular individual |
| custom | The frequent repetition of an act, to the extent that it becomes characteristic of the group of people performing the act |
| folk culture | Culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups |
| popular culture | Culture found in a large heterogenous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characterstics |
| taboo | a restriction on behavior imposed by social custom |
| institutional language | a language used in education, work, mass media, and government |
| official language | the language adopted for use by a government for the conduct of business and publication of documents |
| literary tradition | a language that is written as well as spoken |
| developing language | a language in daily use with a literary tradition that is not widely distributed |
| Vigorous language | a language that is in daily use but lacks a literary tradition |
| language family | a collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history |
| language branch | a collection of languages related through a common ancestor that can be confirmed through archaeological evidence |
| language group | a collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary |
| lingua franca | a language mutually understood and commonly used in trade and by people who have different native languages |
| dialect | a regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation |
| standard language | the form of a language used for official government, business, education, and mass communication |
| isolated language | a language that is unrelated to any other languages and therefore not attached to any language family |
| extinct language | a language that was once used by people in daily activities but is no longer used |
| four largest religions | christianity, Islam, buddihism, hinduism |
| atheism | the belief that God does not exist |
| agnosticism | the belif that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven empircially |
| universalizing religion | a relgion that attempts to appeal to all people, not hust those living in a particular location |
| ethnic religion | a religion with a relatively concentrated sptaial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are concentrated |
| denomination | a division of a branch that united a number of local congregations into a single legal and administrative body |
| animism | the belif that objects such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life |
| branch | a large and fundemental division wiyhin a religion |
| islam | an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion centered on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad, the religion's founder |
| hinduism | is a diverse system of thought marked by a range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites, and shared textual sources that discuss theology, metaphysics, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topics. |
| autonomous religion | A religion that does not have a central authority but shares ideas and cooperates informally. |
| hierarchal religion | a relgion in which a central authority exercises a high degree of control |
| pilgrimage | a journey to a place considered scared for religious reasons |
| caste | The class or distinct hereditary order into which a Hindu is assigned, according to religious law. |
| Fundamentalism | Literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of a religion (or a religious branch, congregation, or denomination) |
| judaism | Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion |
| buddhism | one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. they believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana. |
| confucianism | an ancient Chinese belief system, which focuses on the importance of personal ethics and morality |
| taoism | holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe. Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death. |
| shinto | Japan's native belief system and predates historical records |
| zoroastrianism | emphasizes a never-ending battle between good and evil — a contest between the religion's God, Ahura Mazda, and an evil spirit, Ahriman. Believers have the freedom to make good or bad choices; they were exhorted by Zoroaster to think good thoughts, say good words and do good deeds |
| sikhism | The essential message is spiritual devotion and reverence of God at all times while practicing the ideals of honesty, compassion, humility and generosity in everyday life. |
| roman catholic | is the oldest and largest branch of Christianity |
