Which of the following language families is the most controversial amongst modern linguists?
Explanation
The Altaic language family is the most controversial among modern linguists due to the lack of conclusive evidence supporting its existence as a distinct language family. Originally proposed in the early 20th century, the Altaic language family includes Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic languages spoken in Central Asia, Siberia, and parts of Eastern Europe. However, over time, linguistic experts have been unable to establish clear and consistent phonological, morphological, and lexical similarities across these languages. Some argue that the similarities are a result of language contact rather than genetic relatedness, leading to skepticism about the Altaic hypothesis and making it a subject of intensive debate among linguists.