▁the ▁Hall u ci ▁Nation . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : L iving ▁people ▁Category : 1 9 8 8 ▁birth s ▁Category : S wed ish ▁female ▁rapp ers ▁Category : 2 1 st - century ▁women ▁sing ers ▁Category : S wed ish ▁Sam i ▁mus icians ▁Category : S wed ish ▁human ▁rights ▁activ ists ▁Category : S ami ▁actors <0x0A> </s> ▁In ▁historical ▁lingu istics , ▁a ▁link age ▁is ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁related ▁languages ▁that ▁is ▁formed ▁when ▁a ▁proto - language ▁breaks ▁up ▁into ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁dialect s ▁that ▁gradually ▁differenti ates ▁into ▁separate ▁languages . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁introduced ▁by ▁Mal col m ▁Ross ▁in ▁his ▁study ▁of ▁Western ▁Ocean ic ▁languages ▁. ▁It ▁is ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁a ▁family , ▁which ▁ar ises ▁when ▁the ▁proto - language ▁speech ▁community ▁separ ates ▁into ▁groups ▁that ▁are ▁isolated ▁from ▁each ▁other , ▁rather ▁than ▁forming ▁a ▁network . ▁ ▁Princi ple ▁Link ages ▁are ▁formed ▁when ▁languages ▁emer ged ▁histor ically ▁from ▁the ▁divers ification ▁of ▁an ▁earlier ▁dialect ▁continu um . ▁Its ▁members ▁may ▁have ▁diver ged ▁despite ▁sharing ▁subsequent ▁innov ations , ▁or ▁such ▁dialect s ▁may ▁have ▁come ▁into ▁contact ▁and ▁so ▁conver ged . ▁In ▁any ▁dialect ▁continu um , ▁innov ations ▁are ▁shared ▁between ▁neighbour ing ▁dialect s ▁in ▁intersect ing ▁patterns . ▁The ▁patterns ▁of ▁intersect ing ▁innov ations ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁evident ▁as ▁the ▁dialect ▁continu um ▁turns ▁into ▁a ▁link age . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the