What are the world’s oldest languages and how and where did they originate?

By Hans Patel

The world is home to more than 7,100 languages today, with nearly 40% endangered. These languages weave together millennia of human history, making the quest to identify the oldest language a fascinating endeavour.

Many early written languages, such as Sumerian, Akkadian, and Egyptian, used cuneiform script and date back at least 4,600 years. Egyptian hieroglyphs, like those in Pharaoh Seth-Peribsen’s tomb, contain the earliest-known complete sentences. Historians agree these are among the oldest languages with clear written records, though all are now extinct.

For the oldest still-spoken languages, Hebrew and Arabic are notable. Their written evidence dates back around 3,000 years, and they belong to the Afroasiatic language family, which traces back 20,000 to 10,000 years.

This makes Afroasiatic widely accepted as the oldest language family, despite debates over the exact timelines.

Also, the other oldest languages, such as Chinese, Sanskrit, and Tamil, sparks ongoing debate. As per the histories, Chinese likely emerged from Proto-Sino-Tibetan around 4,500 years ago, with the earliest written records dating back about 3,300 years, whereas Sanskrit’s written records date to 1500-1200 BCE, part of ancient Hindu texts, although it is no longer a first language today.

Tamil, spoken by about 85 million people, has documented literature dating back at least 2,000 years, with the Tolkāppiyam possibly as old as 7,000-2,800 years. These discussions highlight the challenges in determining the world’s oldest languages, and will continue to remain there till no further evidence is found.

Egyptian
Egypt is renowned as one of the world’s oldest civilisations, with Egyptian Coptic standing as its oldest indigenous language. Written records of its usage trace back to 3400 BC, and as per the records, Coptic remained the predominant language in Egypt until the late 17th century AD. Today, Coptic persists primarily as the liturgical language of the Coptic Church in Egypt, though fluency is now limited to a small number of speakers.

Sanskrit
As per the records, Sanskrit’s earliest form is found in the Rigveda, a sacred Hindu text. Revered as the ‘language of the gods’ in Hinduism, Sanskrit plays a pivotal role in understanding ancient Indian history, scriptures, and philosophy. Sanskrit also has a profound influence on numerous languages, particularly in South Asia. Many modern Indian languages, such as Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi, have their roots in Sanskrit and extensively borrow from its vocabulary. Fundamental to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, Sanskrit serves as the language in which many foundational texts of these religions were composed. This includes the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Tamil
Tamil, spoken by 78 million people and recognised as an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore, is one of the world’s oldest languages. Part of the Dravidian family, which includes several native languages of southern and eastern India, Tamil is predominantly spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu and holds official status in India. Inscriptions dating back to the 3rd century BC attest to its ancient roots.

Hebrew
Hebrew ceased to be widely spoken around 400 CE but has been maintained as a liturgical language among Jews globally. The 19th and 20th centuries saw a revival of Hebrew with the rise of Zionism, leading to its establishment as the official language of Israel. While Modern Hebrew differs from its Biblical counterpart, native speakers can fully comprehend ancient texts written in the language. Furthermore, Modern Hebrew has been shaped by influences from various other Jewish languages.

Arabic
Arabic, as the language of the Quran, holds sacred significance. It is spoken by approximately 260 million people worldwide and encompasses numerous dialects. Arabic serves as the foundation for languages such as Urdu and Malay, and its influence extends to English, with words like algebra, alcohol, and emir having Arabic origins.

Chinese
Chinese is spoken by approximately 1.2 billion people worldwide and belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It encompasses numerous complex dialects. Chinese characters date back approximately 3,000 years, with hieroglyphs tracing their origins to the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC). In 1956, the written script underwent simplification to enhance readability and accessibility.

Greek
Greek serves as the official language of Greece and Cyprus and originally developed in ancient Greece and Asia Minor, now part of Turkey. It has an unbroken tradition of written use spanning over 3,000 years, surpassing any other Indo-European languages spoken today. This rich history is categorised into Ancient Greek, Medieval Greek, and Modern Greek stages. Today, Greek is spoken by over 15 million people, primarily in Greece and Cyprus, with sizable Greek-speaking communities also found in countries like the United States and Australia.
________________

Credit: The Times of India