1 month ago
35
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - When did humans start speaking a language? While no one knows for sure the exact time, scientists believe, based on fossil and genetic data, that language emerged in our lineage shortly after humans diverged from Neanderthals, no later than 150,000 to 200,000 years ago, as quoted from BMC Biology.
Over time, languages evolve and develop. While many have come and gone, some have stood the test of time, with a number still spoken even today.
Citing Britannica, University of Oxford, Berlitz, and other sources, this article uncovers some of the oldest languages in the world, featuring extinct languages, like Sumerian and Akkadian, and modern tongues, such as Chinese and Arabic.
1. Sumerian
Sumerian is believed to be the oldest written language in history, dating back to 3100 BCE. Its earliest writing reveals texts of business and administrative character. Although it was no longer used in daily conversation upon the emergence of Semitic Akkadian, it remained relevant as a written language until the extinction of Akkadian.
2. Akkadian
Akkadian, which emerged around 2000 BCE, served as a spoken language in Mesopotamia, replacing Sumerian. The name itself was derived from a northern Babylonia city, Akkad.
According to Yale University, this ancient tongue became the lingua franca of the ancient Near East for centuries, particularly from the 3rd to the 1st millennium BCE. The Akkadian language appears to be related to Arabic and Hebrew since it belongs to the Semitic language family.
3. Egyptian
The Egyptian language we’re talking about here is different from the Egyptian Arabic spoken today. This ancient tongue is what constitutes the Afro-Asiatic language phylum and is believed to originate from 3000 BCE.
In case you’re wondering what ancient Egyptians sounded like, Laurel Bestock, a professor of Egyptology and Archaeology, shared what she knows in a Q&A session with WIRED. She revealed that the movie The Mummy shows a pretty accurate depiction of what ancient Egyptians might have sounded like.
4. Sanskrit
Sanskrit is among the oldest languages in the world that is still visible today. The language holds considerable significance in Hinduism as it serves as a means of communication and dialogue by the Hindu Celestial Gods, as cited from the World History Encyclopedia.
Sanskrit was believed to have been created by the Hindu god Brahma, hence being called the “language of the gods.”. Moreover, the Old Indo-Aryan language can particularly be found in sacred texts, such as the Vedas, Upanishads, and Mahabharata.
5. Aramaic
Widely spoken by Aramaeans, a tribal Semitic people inhabiting the ancient Near East, the Aramaic language dates back to the late 11th century BCE. The 3000-year-old language is often termed the language of Jesus, as it was extensively used in the two Bible books of Daniel and Ezra.
Closely related to other Semitic languages, like Hebrew and Arabic, small communities, namely Assyrians, still speak Aramaic today.
6. Basque
Unlike most languages, Basque is a linguistic isolate, meaning it has no known relatives. Believed to predate Indo-European languages, Basque is still spoken in an area of 10,000 square kilometers in Spain and France.
7. Latin
Dating back to the 7th century BCE, Latin was the language of the Roman Empire. It is currently considered a “dead language” since it is not used as a native language anymore.
Regardless, the usage of Latin remains visible today, especially within the Roman Catholic Church. Not to mention that many English words, such as status quo, circa, and et cetera, stemmed from Latin.
8. Hebrew
Hebrew is a part of the Semitic language with a history of its usage as a first language tracing back to 200 CE. Although it’s primarily used as the liturgical language of Judaism and Samaritanism, Hebrew was revived as a spoken language in the 19th and 20th centuries, becoming the official language of Israel.
9. Tamil
Primarily spoken in India and several countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore, did you know that Tamil is also one of the oldest languages in the world? Its origins date back to the 5th century BCE, as evidenced by inscriptions and pottery sherds found from that era.
10. Arabic
With a history of more than 1,500 years, Arabic serves as a fundamental language in understanding Islam since the latter’s holy scripture, the Quran, is written in Arabic. This language is believed to originate from the Arabian Peninsula.
11. Chinese
The Chinese language family, particularly Old Chinese, dates back to 1250 BCE. Modern Mandarin evolved from this ancient language and is now among the most spoken languages in the world, second to English, with approximately 1.1 billion speakers.
12. Greek
Greek rounds off our list of the oldest languages in the world, with the earliest written evidence dating back to at least 1450 BCE. The language is now primarily spoken in Greece.
Editor’s Choice: Top 10 Most Spoken Languages in the U.S. Other Than English
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
