Top 10 Oldest Languages in the World 2024

Top 10 Oldest Languages in the World Do you know how many languages exist in the world? Estimates suggest that there are approximately 6809 languages worldwide. Many questions must have sprung in your head, such as which is the world’s oldest language?

Is there a language older than Sanskrit? Can there be a language older than Indian? So let’s get started now. Discover the world’s top ten oldest languages and get answers to all your inquiries.

Certainly! Here is the list of the top 10 oldest languages in the world, with their approximate years of origin:

List of the world’s oldest language

1. Sanskrit circa 4000-6000 years old
2. Sumerian developed around 5200 years ago
3. Tamil has existed for approximately 5000 years
4. Egyptian – 4700 years old
5. Greek dates back to 1400 BC
6. Chinese, around 1200 BC, with roots possibly from 5000–4000 BC
7. Arabic: evidence of existence around 1000 BC
8. Hebrew, around 3000 years old
9. Latin developed around 700 BC
10. Korean, spoken since approximately 600 BC

These languages have contributed significantly to the cultural and linguistic heritage of their respective regions and the world.

Sanskrit language is known as Dev Bhasha, or “Language of the Gods“, thought to be 6,000 years old. The sacred Vedas were written in this language, which belongs to the Indo-Aryan family and is the world’s first language on earth.

So, let’s start with the tenth Korean language. The Korean language has been spoken since approximately 600 BC.

Top 10 Oldest Languages in the World

Here is an explanation of the world’s oldest languages, known for their evidence and significance:

10. Korean

The Korean language has been spoken since approximately 600 BC. This language is spoken by almost 80 million people now, with 50 million living in South Korea and 30 million in North Korea. Korea has a distinct language and belongs to the Korean language family, which is a separate language with no close relatives.

As a result, the Korean language has no direct relationship to Chinese, Japanese, or any nearby languages. This language uses the Hangul script, which is the Korean alphabet. Hangul was founded in 1443 by King Sejong the Great. Korean is a tonal language, which implies that the pitch of one’s voice can affect the meaning of words. Korean is an extremely private language that is frequently used to communicate feelings.

9. Latin

Latin served as the official language of both the ancient Roman Empire and its religion. The Latin language evolved approximately 700 BC, and the first inscriptions appeared in 75 BC. It is officially recognized as the official language of Poland and the Vatican City. Latin is a classical language, like Sanskrit. It belongs to the Romance branch of the Indo-European language family.

It gave rise to French, Italian, Spanish, Roman, Portuguese, and English, the most widely spoken languages today. Millions of individuals continue to learn Latin, despite the fact that it is mostly taught as part of a higher education curriculum.

8. Hebrew

Hebrew belongs to the Semitic branch of the Semitic language family. The Hebrew language is around 3,000 years old. It is presently the official language in Poland and Vatican City. Hebrew is the official language of Israel. Following the demise of the Hebrew language, the Israeli people have restored it. The Jewish community regards Hebrew as a very sacred language, and you might be astonished to learn that the first rule in the Bible was written in it.

The Hebrew language is written using the Hebrew script. This language is read right to left. Friends, what other language is written and read from right to left? If you know, please respond soon. Teaching Hebrew is becoming increasingly popular at Western colleges. Following World War I, the Palatinate’s official language was also modern Hebrew.

7. Arabic

Arabic Language With 270 million native speakers, Arabic is the world’s fifth-most widely spoken language. It is also the official language of 26 states, ranking third after English and French, and the holy language of Islam. This language originated on the Arabian Peninsula and has since spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Arabic has affected and contributed to the vocabulary of many European languages. Aside from that, Arabic has incorporated it into its vocabulary. Throughout his life, he affected languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Spanish. This language was previously the official language of the Armenian Republic. There is evidence that it existed before 1000 B.C. Even now, Arabic is spoken in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and modern Rome.

6. Chinese

Number six is the Chinese language. It is the official language of the United Nations, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as our neighboring country, China. It is also the most widely spoken language in the world. In addition to China, it is spoken in a few East Asian nations. Currently, around 1.2 billion people speak Chinese. It is thought to be approximately 1200 years before Christ.

The Chinese language is part of the Chinese-Tibetan language family, which includes various dialects. The earliest Chinese written record is thought to be from the Chang Dynasty around 1200 BC; however, some experts believe that the language’s origins can be traced back to the Yang Shao culture in 5000–4000 BC. Yang Shao’s ceramic fragments are the earliest surviving written language. Guinness World Record.

5. Greek

Greek language It belongs to the Indo-European language family and dates back to 1400 BC. Greek is spoken by around 133.5 million people in Greece. Greek is considered one of the earliest languages. During the ancient period of Ancient Greece, this language developed into numerous dialects known as Ionic and Attic. During the Hellenistic period, the Greek language developed into what is today known as Biblical Greek.

The Greek language is credited with being the genesis of European languages. Approximately 6% of the English vocabulary is of Greek origin. When transcribed into English, the word you see in front of you is the longest Greek term, which is a fictitious food invented by Aristophanes for his comedy Assembly Women. Currently, Greek is spoken in Greece, Albania, and Cyprus. Approximately 13 million individuals still speak Greek.

4. Egyptian

Egyptian, ranked fourth, is the first language of the African continent. This ancient language, which is extensively spoken in Africa and Egypt, dates back 4700 years. As an ancient language, it is quite ancient. It is also the oldest human language, with written records dating back over 4,000 years. The classical version is known as Middle Egyptian. It is the colloquial language of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, and it served as the country’s literary language until the Roman period.

By classical antiquity, the spoken language had advanced to Demotic, and by the Roman era, it had evolved into Coptic dialects. After the Muslim conquest of Egypt, Arabic superseded the Egyptian language. However, it continues to be utilized as the Coptic Church’s religious language. It became available to the modern world following the decipherment of ancient Egyptian writings for livelihood.

3. Tamil

Tamil is acknowledged as the world’s oldest language, as well as the oldest Dravidian language. This language existed approximately 5,000 years ago. According to a survey, approximately 183 newspapers are issued every day in Tamil alone. At present, there are approximately 79 million Tamil speakers.

Currently, 7 crore people speak this language in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia. You’ll be astonished to learn that Tamil is still the official language of 78 million people in Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil, while being an ancient language, is still widely spoken in daily discussions.

"I am proud that Tamil is the oldest language in the world": PM Modi at #ParikshaPeCharcha pic.twitter.com/3Z1mY9Szqp

— NDTV (@ndtv) January 27, 2023

2. Sumerian

The Sumerian language comes in second place. The Sumerian language evolved approximately 5200 years ago. It also has the status of being the oldest written language in the world. The Sumerians wrote this language in Qun form. The Sumerians used a nickel-reed stylus to draw puncture-shaped markings on clay tablets, which were incorporated in the Qun form.

Archaeologists discovered fourth-millennium tablets inscribed with teaching materials and administrative documents. The ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia spoke this extinct language, although they have since switched to the Semitic Aka. You would be astonished to learn that Assyria It remained in use as a written language for over a millennium after the Babylonians stopped speaking it.

1. Sanskrit

The Sanskrit language is known as Dev Bhasha, or “Language of the Gods.” The sacred Vedas were written in this language, which belongs to the Indo-Aryan family and is the world first language on earth. The Sanskrit language is thought to be 6,000 years old; however, some argue it is 4000 years old. Sanskrit is still spoken by approximately 2 million individuals.

The first written example of Sanskrit can be found in the Rigveda, a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. Sanskrit appears to be the source of inspiration for all European languages, as per studies. All colleges and educational institutions believe Sanskrit to be the oldest language in the world. Sanskrit is thought to be the birthplace of all languages, although it is now primarily used for religion and ceremonies rather than communication.

Also, you can check out other resources by using the ones I wrote about in this article, like Wikipedia and some others.

All auspicious works in Hinduism are carried out using Vedic mantras in Sanskrit.

Thank you for staying with us until now. It’s surprising that even after the Assyro-Babylonians stopped speaking it, it was utilized as a widely used language for nearly a millennium. You can check out other articles on nailsgenius related to this post.

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