All eight types share the same Family Tree canvas — partners on one generation row, children from the household midpoint, symmetric branches as the tree grows. What changes is the template you pick when you start: display name, description, default root label, and relationship hints that help you read the tree for your domain.
Exports include a treeType field so downstream loaders know how to interpret labels. The underlying fields stay the same: label, partnerId, parentIds, and depth. See export & import and the Family Tree studio guide.
Type
Default root
Structure
family-genealogyFamily Genealogy
Family root
Root person → partners → children → descendants
language-familyLanguage Family Tree
Proto-language
Proto-language → language branches → dialects
clan-lineageClan & Lineage Tree
Ancestor
Ancestor → clan branches → living members
noun-classNoun Class Tree
Root noun class
Root class → subclasses → example words
word-etymologyWord Etymology Tree
Root word
Root word → evolved forms → modern variants
dialect-mapDialect Map
Parent language
Parent language → regional dialects → sub-dialects
org-chartOrg Chart
Organization
Root organization → departments → roles
knowledge-domainKnowledge Domain Tree
Subject
Subject → topics → subtopics
family-genealogy
Family Genealogy
Household genealogy — the default template for people, partners, and generations.
When to use: Use for multi-generation family records, household branches, and exportable genealogy you will share or archive.
Default root label:Family root
Partner hint: Spouse or partner on the same generation row
Child hint: Child of the household — drops from the couple midpoint
Example structure
Root: "Ada Lovelace" → partner: "William King" → children branch into their own households across generations.
Authoring tips
Start with your reference person as the root household anchor.
Activate placeholder partners before adding children to a branch.
Use collapse to hide distant branches while you work on one line.
Export mapping: Default tree type. Exports include treeType: family-genealogy; partner_id and parent_ids map to household relationships.
language-family
Language Family Tree
Linguistic descent — how a proto-language splits into branches and regional forms.
When to use: Use when documenting how a language family divides — comparative linguistics, curriculum maps, or preservation indexes.
Default root label:Proto-language
Partner hint: Sibling branch or closely related lect on the same level
Child hint: Descendant language, dialect, or lect below the parent
Example structure
Root: "Proto-Bantu" → branches: "Swahili", "Zulu", "Kikongo" → each with dialect children.
Authoring tips
Root = reconstructed or attested proto-form.
Generation rows = time depth or taxonomic level — not calendar years.
Label nodes with language names; use notes elsewhere if you need ISO codes.
Export mapping: treeType: language-family. Downstream loaders can treat partner links as coordinate branches and children as descent.
clan-lineage
Clan & Lineage Tree
Clan structure and living descent from a shared ancestor.
When to use: Use for clan registers, lineage documentation, and cultural kinship maps where branches split from a founding ancestor.
Default root label:Ancestor
Partner hint: Co-head of a clan branch or household line
Child hint: Member, sub-clan, or living descendant of the branch
Example structure
Root: "Founding elder" → clan branches → named members in the current generation.
Authoring tips
Root = the ancestor or clan founder everyone traces back to.
Branches often mirror household or sub-clan lines — grow each separately.
Rename inline as you confirm spellings with community sources.
Export mapping: treeType: clan-lineage. Same household canvas — export records which template framed the tree.
noun-class
Noun Class Tree
Grammatical noun-class systems — classes, subclasses, and exemplar vocabulary.
When to use: Use when teaching or documenting noun-class agreement — map classes to example lemmas learners can browse.
Default root label:Root noun class
Partner hint: Coordinate class or agreement set at the same level
Child hint: Subclass or example word belonging to the parent class
Example structure
Root: "Class 1/2 (people)" → subclasses → example words as leaf nodes.
Authoring tips
Root = the top-level class or agreement paradigm you are explaining.
Children = subclasses; leaves = example words or phrases.
Keep labels short — one word or short phrase per example.
Export mapping: treeType: noun-class. Loaders can project class hierarchy from parent_ids and treat leaves as exemplars.
word-etymology
Word Etymology Tree
Lexical history — how a root form develops across time and usage.
When to use: Use for etymology lessons, dictionary supplements, and showing how a lemma changed across periods or registers.
Default root label:Root word
Partner hint: Parallel form or cognate at the same historical layer
Child hint: Derived form, evolved spelling, or modern variant
Example structure
Root: "*sal-" → medieval forms → modern "salary", "salad", "salt" as branch leaves.
Authoring tips
Root = earliest attested or reconstructed form.
Each generation row can mean a historical stage or derivational step.
Branch siblings when forms split from the same parent source.
Export mapping: treeType: word-etymology. Export preserves the derivation tree; labels hold the surface forms.
dialect-map
Dialect Map
Regional variation — how a standard or parent lect splits into dialect geography.
When to use: Use for dialect atlases, fieldwork indexes, and teaching regional variation within one language.
Default root label:Parent language
Partner hint: Neighboring dialect or regional variant at the same level
Child hint: Sub-dialect, local variety, or community speech form
Example structure
Root: "English" → regional dialects → community sub-varieties under each region.
Authoring tips
Root = the parent language or standard lect.
Middle generation = named regional dialects.
Leaves = villages, communities, or sub-varieties you have recordings for.
Export mapping: treeType: dialect-map. Same tree skeleton — loaders read labels as lect names and hierarchy as geographic or social nesting.
org-chart
Org Chart
Organizational hierarchy — teams, departments, and roles reporting lines.
When to use: Use for team structure, nonprofit boards, project org charts, or any reporting hierarchy that reads top-down.
Default root label:Organization
Partner hint: Co-lead or paired role at the same level (optional)
Child hint: Department, team, or role reporting to the parent node
Example structure
Root: "Wekify LLC" → departments → role titles as leaf nodes.
Authoring tips
Root = organization or program name.
Middle rows = departments or teams.
Leaves = individual roles or named seats — rename as people change.
Export mapping: treeType: org-chart. Household layout still applies visually; export treeType tells loaders to read nodes as org units.
knowledge-domain
Knowledge Domain Tree
Taxonomic knowledge maps — subjects broken into topics and subtopics.
When to use: Use for curriculum outlines, glossary indexes, research bibliographies, and browse-by-topic knowledge bases.
Default root label:Subject
Partner hint: Sibling topic at the same level under the parent subject
Child hint: Subtopic or entry nested under the parent topic
Collapse large subtrees while you flesh out one topic area.
Export mapping: treeType: knowledge-domain. Hierarchy from parent_ids; labels are topic titles for downstream browse UIs.
Choose
Which type should I pick?
People and households → family-genealogy
Language descent and comparative families → language-family
Clan or lineage from a founding ancestor → clan-lineage
Grammatical noun-class systems with examples → noun-class
Historical word forms and derivations → word-etymology
Regional dialect variation within one language → dialect-map
Teams, departments, and reporting lines → org-chart
Subjects, topics, and browse-by-topic indexes → knowledge-domain
Missing treeType on import defaults to family-genealogy. Pick your template on the Family Tree empty state before you start — the canvas layout does not change, only the framing and export metadata.
Pick a tree type first — same canvas, different labels and export meaning.
Next steps
Ready to nodify?
Open a studio, try an example workflow, or read product context on About and Changelog.
