# World Atlas of Language Structures

> database of language structures

**Wikidata**: [Q1133223](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1133223)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Atlas_of_Language_Structures)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/world-atlas-of-language-structures

## Summary
The World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS) is a database of language structures provided as a website and free software. Established in 2008 and owned by the Max Planck Society, it serves as a central repository for linguistic structural data. The resource is authored collectively and is accessible to the public under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type:** Database, Website, Free Software
- **Inception:** 2008
- **Owner:** Max Planck Society
- **Author / Founder:** Collective body
- **License:** Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
- **Website:** http://wals.info
- **Aliases:** WALS, Weltatlas der Sprachstrukturen, 世界语言结构地图集
- **Part Of:** Cross-Linguistic Linked Data
- **Alexa Rank:** 311,955 (as of January 10, 2019)
- **Repository ID:** Zenodo ID 11040; re3data ID r3d100010155

## FAQs
### Q: What exactly is the World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS)?
A: WALS is a database that catalogs the structures of the world's languages. It functions as a website and free software application, allowing users to access and study linguistic data.

### Q: Who owns and created WALS?
A: The database is owned by the Max Planck Society. It was founded and authored by a collective group of contributors rather than a single individual.

### Q: Is the World Atlas of Language Structures free to use?
A: Yes, WALS is classified as free software and is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, permitting users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it.

## Why It Matters
The World Atlas of Language Structures serves as a critical infrastructure in the field of linguistics by providing a centralized, accessible database of language structures. As a project owned by the Max Planck Society and part of the Cross-Linguistic Linked Data initiative, it facilitates the systematic study of linguistic diversity and typology. By making this data available as free software under a Creative Commons license, WALS democratizes access to high-quality linguistic information, allowing researchers, students, and the public to analyze structural patterns across languages without legal or financial barriers. Its existence standardizes the way language structures are referenced and shared within the academic community.

## Notable For
- **Linguistic Data Access:** Acts as a primary database for language structures (classified as a "database of language structures").
- **Open Licensing:** Distinguished by its Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, offering broad usage rights.
- **Linked Data Integration:** Is a component of the Cross-Linguistic Linked Data project.
- **Institutional Authority:** Owned and maintained by the Max Planck Society, a major scientific research organization.

## Body

### Identity and Classification
The World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS) is identified in knowledge bases as a database, a website, and free software. It is described succinctly as a "database of language structures." The resource is multilingual in scope, with aliases including "Weltatlas der Sprachstrukturen" (German) and "世界语言结构地图集" (Chinese).

### History and Ownership
WALS was established in 2008. The project is owned by the Max Planck Society. Unlike projects attributed to a single creator, WALS is credited to a collective authorship and was founded by a collective.

### Access and Technical Specifications
The platform is accessible via its website at http://wals.info.
- **License:** The content is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
- **Software Classification:** It is explicitly categorized as "free software," defined as software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it and modified versions.
- **Traffic:** As of January 10, 2019, the site held an Alexa rank of 311,955.

### Linked Data and Identifiers
WALS is integrated into the wider semantic web and academic infrastructure:
- **Project Status:** It is listed as a part of "Cross-Linguistic Linked Data."
- **Wikidata:** The entry is associated with specific Wikidata properties (P1467, P1468, P1466) and has a Freebase ID (/m/043mvwf).
- **Repositories:** It is indexed with a Zenodo ID (11040) and a re3data repository ID (r3d100010155).
- **Wikipedia Presence:** The entity has a Wikipedia template (Template:WALS) and articles in 10 languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

## References

1. [Source](https://wals.info/)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/wals.info)