Along with man's discovery of fire, the invention of language is also considered as one of the most important transformations of human society. Long ago, before civilizations were born, kingdoms were established. They used to communicate using ancient gestures and sounds.
The necessary languages appeared 10000 years ago and it changed the way of mankind. The use of language has ushered in a new era of development. The origin of primitive languages is a question that has been asked a lot in history. Several ancient scriptures and cave carvings claim some of the oldest languages in the world.
We often take our own language for granted, for example English is not the only universal language in the world. Linguists now estimate that there are more than 6900 languages spoken on earth and that they probably originated somewhere. There are many languages that originated thousands of years ago. Let's learn about 10 The oldest language in the world down here:
1. Sumerian – A Very Intimate Cultural Symbiotic Relationship Between the Sumerians and the People of the Akkadian Empire
Sumerian is one of the oldest languages and it dates back to 3500 BC. The oldest evidence of the Sumerian language is cuneiform inscriptions found in Iraq. The Sumerian language is an older language than Egyptian and was replaced by Akkadian (the language spoken in southern Mesopotamia). Nevertheless, Sumerian continued to serve as a sacred, ceremonial, literary and scientific language in Mesopotamia until the 1st century AD.
2. The Egyptian Language – The World's Most Historical Value
The Egyptian language is considered the oldest and most historically valuable language in the world. With simple hieroglyphics, Egyptian script has partly portrayed the daily life as well as the life of the people here in ancient times. However, today the Egyptian script is no longer widely used because it is difficult to learn and record. Egyptian is also known as the proto-Egyptian language and is a branch of the Afro-asiatic language family. The written record of the Egyptian language was found in 3400 BC. For several years, linguists have been analyzing this language, showing that it is easy to understand. This language was used around the 17th century when there was a shift in writing over time.
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3. Mycenaean Greek With The Longest Recorded History Of All Existing Languages, Spanning 34 Centuries
Mycenaean Greek is the most primitive form of the Greek language. This is the colloquial language used mainly for recording and inventorying royal palaces and commercial establishments. Mycenaean Greek originated in the 16th century BC.
The Greek language is mainly spoken in Greece, Albania and Cyprus by about 13 million people. Along with Latin, Greek is the principal source of international scientific vocabulary. It is one of the oldest languages of Europe. and was translated in 1950. There aren't any literary works written in Mycenaean Greek. The use of this language ended when the Mycenaean civilization collapsed.
4. Medieval – Rich Tonal System
The Chinese language was born around 3000 BC and developed in 1200 during the Zhou Dynasty. This language quickly spread throughout this country and spread to a number of other neighboring areas, including Vietnam. This is the most common spoken language in the world today. The ancient Chinese were found at the archaeological site of the ancient city of Yinxu, where researchers found skeletons with early forms of the Chinese language.
Medieval Chinese is not boring. It includes a rich tonal system in which the pronunciation is approximated to distinguish consonants. The study of the old Chinese language began in the Qing dynasty.
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5. Aramaic – The Old Language Existing To This Day
Aramaic is a Semitic language belonging to the Afroasiatic language family. The Aramaic language was spoken more than 3000 years ago but today its existence is threatened as its speakers are of retirement age. Aramic was once the language that served empires and sacred workshops. The Semitic peoples of the Near East still speak this language, although it is not widespread.
6. Latin – The Classical Language That Still Exists Even Now
Latin is a classical language belonging to the italic branch of Indo-European languages. Some people claim that Latin is no longer called an indigenous language but that is not correct. People consider Latin as a language written on paper rather than a language that is traditionally spoken.
Pope Benedict XVI changed this view when he resigned in 2013. In 75 BC Old Latin was the common language but it is unknown how many people spoke Latin. There are many people who love them who have kept the language alive.
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7. Tamil Language – One of the Oldest Classical Languages in the World
The Tamil language is the famous language of the Tamil people and it is traced back to 500 BC. There are about 70 million people who still speak Tamil.
Tamil was the language recognized by modern speakers of the time. Tamil speakers can read old Tamil texts. Over time, this language has lost its importance.
8. Sanskrit – Ancient Indian Language
Another primitive language is Sanskrit and it is traced back to the first century AD. The first manuscript of Sanskrit was found in Ayodhya, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Old Sanskrit is also found in the Indian State of Gujarat. Sanskrit is the ritual language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
This language was once considered the language of munis and rishis but now the modern world thinks that Sanskrit is best used on computers. It is also a scientific and systematic language, furthermore Sanskrit is noted for the richest literature in human history.
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9. Mayan – A Language Family Spoken in Mesoamerica and North Central America
The Mayan language is considered one of the oldest in the world. The Maya language is traced back to the third century. It has 32 different dialects. The oldest Mayan language is not words but they are still ancient images called inscriptions.
Mayan manuscripts were first found at the ruins of Tikal, the oldest city discovered in the rainforest of Guatemala. In the temple there are stone shafts. One of these axes is Stela 29, which contains the oldest specimen of the Mayan Language.
10. Arabic – Language Used During the Stone Age in the Northwest of the Arabian Peninsula
Arabic is ranked sixth among major languages in the world. It is the language of the holy books of Islam and is widely used in Islam. It is linked by Semitic language groups including Hebrew and Amharic, the main languages of Ethiopia. The Arabic language is traced back to the early 300s.
The first known example of the Arabic Language is from the Namara inscription found in 1901. This inscription was found on basalt taken from the tomb. This inscription is of great importance as it depicts that the Romans and Arabs knew each other in the fourth century.
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Language is an integral part of our lives. It distinguishes us from primates. In the age of digitalization and globalization, language is not just a means of communication. It is also an integral part of cultures and civilizations. History shows that all civilizations and cultures have been acting for the survival of language.
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Nguyen Trung Khang - Talented interpreter and translator, passionate about translation
Nguyen Trung Khang is a talented interpreter and translator, with many years of experience in the field of translation and linguistics. He graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, majoring in Linguistics in 2015.
After graduating, Mr. Khang participated in a professional interpretation and interpretation training course at the University of Foreign Languages - Hanoi National University. He achieved a high-level certificate in interpreting and interpreting, and was also awarded a master's degree in linguistics.